Project G Part 6 - GODZILLA & THE GUARDIAN MONSTERS
by DHT
Summary: A cult of fanatics led by Belvera seek to unleash seven ancient monsters with the power to destroy all of civilization. Doctor Honda and Godzilla set out to stop them, but must do so alone and at the risk of losing their place in the world they have fought so hard to protect.
1. The Bust

Electricity was one of the few things that could slow Godzilla down.

Professor Fang was the world's leading authority in the field of monster-making, a dubious yet profitable discipline. One of her first creations was the Deep Dweller, a colossal fish resembling a fangtooth augmented with the ability of an electric eel from which the creature derives its name. Every electrical shock the monster sent out was disorienting and interfered with the charging of Godzilla's atomic ray. He did not give up, though; he was determined to get by the freakish sentry and reach Opono Island.

This island was the final holdout of Colonel Kashirin and what remained of the Prokofiev arms dealers. After a UN investigation exposed their organization and the identities of numerous high-paying customers, business dried up almost completely. One by one, their facilities were either forcibly shut down or abandoned by their personnel. Only Kashirin, Fang, and Arkoff remained of the key players, hiding out on Opono Island with slim hope for riding out the organization's demise. That hope died out when their location was discovered and G-Force descended upon them.

Godzilla managed to catch the Deep Dweller by the tail only to receive another painful jolt. Fighting through it, he held tightly and ascended to the surface, lifting the hybrid creature aloft. Its electrical attack was more intense out of the water, but Godzilla could endure it just long enough to hurl his enemy toward the island. The Deep Dweller landed in the shallows, where it struggled to right itself for a few moments before being struck between the eyes by a searing burst of Godzilla's atomic breath.

From above in the _Shirasagi_ , Doctor Honda and Commander Takashima observed Godzilla's victory. _Excellent work_ , said the former, telepathically, before turning to her pilot. "Shall we send in the rest?"

Kashirin watched the sentry beast's death on a CCTV monitor. "Well, Professor," he said to Fang, standing beside him, along with Arkoff, in his fortified safe room underneath the main structure of the base. "It seems your ugly pet wasn't good for much, was it?"

"Don't blame me! The mind control tech is the problem, holding back their ability to-"

Arkoff interjected indignantly. "Nothing is wrong with my neural suppressors!"

"Except for the fact that they suppress the creature's' ability to fight adaptively!"

Kashirin stomped his foot down as hard as he could. "That's enough! G-Force will be upon us in minutes. I'm sending out the other monsters and the Lizard Slayers."

"Colonel!" said Arkoff. "The mechs aren't ready!"

Fang sneered. "Well, whose fault is that?"

Kashirin glared at both of them. "I said, enough! If your sorry creations can't save us, you become nothing but a liability to me. I won't hesitate to kill or abandon you!"

Five members of G-Force were present for the Opono Island raid: Godzilla, Kong, Rodan, Titanosaurus, and Zilla. They were a deadly combination, able to move with great speed and powerful enough to vanquish any threat.

Guarding the facility were three more of Fang's customized monsters and three machines designed by Arkoff. The monsters were Crustaceous Rex, a two-legged hybrid of various crustaceans with lengthy cephalopod tentacles; Vagnosaurus, a salamander-like creature whose squat body was dwarfed by a massive tail adorned with venomous stingers; and Barakidon, a rhinocerotid-avian hybrid with a hunched back, huge beak, and arms as big as Kong's. The Lizard Slayer mechs each had a different shape and colored highlights: LS1, a red humanoid terrestrial walker; LS2, a green frog-like amphibious craft; and LS3, a blue aircraft resembling a tank with fixed wings.

"Five against six, eh?" said Honda. "We've faced worse."

Takashima pointed to the Lizard Slayers. "What do you think - remote controlled?"

"No, I can sense the pilots in there."

The mechs and hybrids charged, clashing with G-Force. Sirens filled the air, and several modified tanks with plasma cannons came pouring out of the facility, firing as they came. Takashima yanked the controls, pulling _Shirasagi_ out of the path of a blast. "These things again!" he grunted. He began circling the island at a distance, winding and spinning as he went, moving too quickly and unpredictably for the cannons to lead him.

Honda spoke telepathically to the tank and mech pilots. _This is Doctor Honda of Project G. Stand down now!_

The tanks continued to fire. Godzilla grappled with C Rex while avoiding LS1's missile attacks. Zilla repeatedly rushed Vagnosaurus, slashing at her flanks and dodging just before she could strike back with her stingers. Barakidon and Kong traded punches of such immense force that they boomed like thunder. Titanosaurus dove into the water, hoping to circle around to the other side of the island; LS2 dove in after him, while LS3 pursued Rodan in the skies.

Takashima took _Shirasagi_ lower to the water to avoid the airborne battle; this put them in greater danger from cannonfire. Honda tried again to talk the enemy troops into surrendering. _I say again: stand down now and your lives will be spared!_

The soldiers indicated no intent to give up. At this point, all that remained of the organization were Rolisican troops loyal to Kashirin, plus a small number of outsiders like Fang and Arkoff. This meant that the soldiers on Opono Island, unlike the mercenaries and other allies G-Force had faced before, were unlikely to surrender.

Honda decided to set an example. She concentrated on one of the tanks and managed to flip it over on its side. She did this with two more tanks, until the remainder stopped moving and were abandoned by their crews. The troopers rushed back into the facility, not ready to surrender but wanting to be nowhere near the battlefield without heavy firepower.

C Rex wrapped his tentacles around Godzilla and sprayed him with black ink. Godzilla covered his eyes to protect them. The substance was acidic - not enough to grievously injure him, but enough to sting and irritate. Godzilla blasted C Rex's tentacles off and flipped him over onto his carapace. LS1 sent out a volley of rockets, stunning Godzilla momentarily.

Titanosaurus evaded LS2's fire for a while, then began using his powerful tail rudder to create a vortex. The submersible attack ship spiralled out of control before crashing onto the seafloor. Overhead, Rodan was knocked off balance by a direct hit from LS3. The airship followed him as he plummeted toward the sea below. However, just as they were nearing the water, Rodan pulled up abruptly. Titanosaurus emerged grasping LS2 and hurled it skyward toward LS3. The two vessels collided in a massive explosion.

Barakidon had the advantage over Kong in terms of brute strength, but the ape was much faster and more agile. He wore the hybrid down with strategically-placed blows to the ribs, legs, and biceps. However, like Fang's other monsters, Barakidon had a chemical weapon: a toxin she discharged from her beak as an aerosol, which had soporific qualities. Kong's jabs came slower and feebler as the gas took effect. Barakidon further stunned him with a punch to the forehead, but before she could finish him off, Rodan landed on his shoulders and flapped his wings, driving the gas back into her eyes; she was immune to its effects, but it still obscured her vision temporarily. Kong recovered his strength and seized Barakidon by the right arm; Titanosaurus held the other arm, and both of them together twisted the limbs until the were dislocated. Barakidon pulled free with a frightened squawk and staggered toward the water. Loathe to let her escape, Kong lunged and struck her left temple with enough force to cave in her skull, killing her instantly.

C Rex attempted to spray Godzilla with his caustic ink again, only to be knocked backward by a blow from the latter; the ink instead landed on Zilla's face and covered his eyes, causing great pain and temporary blindness just as he was about to rush Vagnosaurus again. Seizing her chance, his opponent struck Zilla in the shoulder with her stinger, eliciting a shriek of agony as her venom was pumped into his veins.

Godzilla lifted C Rex and used him as a shield while advancing on LS1; the hybrid squealed and writhed as his carapace was pounded by missiles and scorched by lasers. Once Godzilla was close enough, he hurled the dying C Rex toward the mech, and the two tumbled over together. He then turned his attention toward Vagnosaurus, sending her into retreat with his atomic breath. Kong then seized her tail from behind and thrust it into her abdomen. Unlike Barakidon, she was not immune to her own poison.

LS1's pilot could not get the mech back on its feet with C Rex's corpse still lying on top. Godzilla peered over the machine, ready to smash it to pieces, but the pilot cried out in terror, "Stop! Stop! I surrender!"

 _I hear you,_ Honda replied. _Godzilla, leave him be!_

As the pilot scrambled to evacuate his mech, Godzilla checked on Zilla. The younger monster was doubled up in excruciating pain, but his regenerative ability was holding the venom at bay; no matter how much it hurt for the moment, there would be no permanent damage.

The monsters still standing turned their attention to the facility. They had only to step toward the perimeter walls for every soldier inside to throw up their hands in surrender or run and hide. Honda tried speaking to them again. _This is your last chance. Everyone stand down now and prepare to turn yourselves in._

Realizing they were beaten, Kashirin gave an exasperated sigh and reached for his gun. Fang tackled him to the ground, while Arkoff seized the gun.

"Fools!" Kashirin hissed. "You think you'll be spared? Believe me: I'd be doing you both a favor!"

Fang scoffed. "If you really thought so, you'd blow your own brains out first!" She kicked Kashirin in the head, knocking him out cold. "Sorry to be a liability, asshole."

 _Shirasagi_ landed outside the base perimeter just as the pilot of LS1 climbed out of the downed mech. Honda disembarked and confronted him. "What's your name, soldier?"

"Ivanov, Abram. Captain."

"And what brings you into the service of Prokofiev's arm dealers, Abe?"

Ivanov was surprised to hear his captor referring to him so casually, but it also put his mind at ease somewhat to be interrogated by a civilian. "Well, I was in the service of the Red Army on Rolisica at the time of the coup, and was conscripted into Prokofiev's service."

"Conscripted? Were you loyal to the Soviet Union?"

Ivanov sighed. "I still am, but my wife and children came to Rolisica with me. If I refused to serve, Prokofiev would have imprisoned us all, or worse. Now, I fear we could all end up in the gulags."

Honda placed a sympathetic hand on the captain's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll tell them you acted under duress and surrendered willingly."

"Thank you, Doctor. Your word could mean the difference between life and death for my children." Ivanov saluted her, lip aquiver and eyes moist.

Within an hour, the Opono Island base was taken over by a Russian force. The leader, General Tcherepnin, spoke to Honda in person. "Thank you for your help, Doctor Honda. I'm sure you'll be wanting to leave now, but first we have a request of you."

"Yes, General?"

"One of the prisoners has identified herself as Professor Fang, the woman who allegedly oversaw the ORGA experiments with Shinzo. We don't have any records by which to verify her, save for the account of events provided by Doctor…"

Honda interrupted. "You want me to read her mind."

"We would be most grateful."

"That's potentially dangerous."

"I know what happened to Pyotr Prokofiev and understand how it must have affected you. I would not ask this of you if I did not believe it was absolutely necessary to catch this woman and be sure of it."

"Very well," Honda said with a reluctant sigh. "Show her to me."

Fang was escorted onto the courtyard in handcuffs. "Ah, Doctor Honda!" she said with a smirk. "How wonderful it is to make your acquaintance at last! I hope my little toys have presented you with a worthy challenge."

"Let's just get this over with," said Honda. "I'm going to read your mind. If you resist…"

"You'll kill me. Right? Like you killed my boss? Yeah, you act like some hero of the people, but at the end of the day, you're just a blunt tool for-"

Honda ignored Fang's comments and began probing her mind. The mad scientist did not resist, but rather brought to mind vivid memories of Devil's Island. These quickly and deliberately turned to her interactions with Adam Yuma during his captivity there. Fang made sure that Honda saw her threatening him, assaulting him, and coercing him into resuming his experiments on human beings. However, there was something else that caught Honda's attention…

After only a few moments, she withdrew from Fang's mind, breathing anxiously after what she saw in there. "It's her, alright," she said. "She's the one."

"Yes, I'm the one. The one who drove your pathetic friend into exile!"

Honda angrily stepped closer and reached for the pendant around her neck bearing the radiant cross of Mothra. "Tell me, Professor - does this symbol have any significance to you?"

Fang raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Yes, I saw that on an artifact I found on Devil's Island! It was carved into a purple jewel."

"What did you do with it?"

"I sold it to an explorer type. He's a Seeker, and I mean one of the old school guys. He actually believes in all that mystical stuff associated with the Seatopia legends, like ascending to godhood through ancient relics."

Tcherepnin laughed. "So did Shinzo, from what I hear. Many have proclaimed themselves to be deities, and they all live and die like everyone else. Ha! I hope at least that you got a fair price for your little bauble."

Fang opened her mouth to retort, but froze save for her eyes, which widened in bewilderment. It took her a moment to find words. "I…I didn't get anything! He offered to buy it but gave me nothing, and I just…handed it over! Why would I do a fool thing like that?"

"That's enough," said Tcherepnin. "We're taking you, Arkoff, and Kashirin into custody for a full interrogation. Doctor Honda, thank you for your help. You're dismissed."

Takashima met Honda back aboard _Shirasagi_ and was surprised to see her looking shaken. "Are you alright, Doc?"

"I just spoke to Professor Fang," she replied, slouching into her seat with a groan. "Apparently she found an artifact from Nirai-Kanai and gave it to a fanatic. I don't like it; if the object had any mystical properties, we may have a powerful new enemy to watch out for."

Takashima exhaled nervously. "You know, when I joined the SDF back in '54, I never expected that ten years later I'd be fighting dinosaurs, robots, psychics, and whatever the hell you'd call those things Professor Fang cooked up. Anyway, you're positive it's her, right?"

"She showed me memories of Adam. They treated him even worse than I thought."

Takashima placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Honda closed her eyes and breathed deeply. A few tears spilled down her cheeks. It had been months since Yuma disappeared. She had respected his wish not to look for him, but she could not help missing him and fearing for his safety.

"Kumi," whispered Takashima, "are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah," she said, wiping her eyes. "Yeah, I think so. Let's get back to Iwato."

As the airship lifted off, Godzilla helped Zilla onto his feet. The younger creature was groggy, but otherwise was not seriously injured. They were preparing to head out and travel southward in the direction of Iwato Island, when suddenly Zilla's eyes snapped to the northeast, staring at something off in the distance.

"What's going on?" asked Honda worriedly.

Godzilla and Zilla exchanged an excited glance, after which the former spoke to Honda psychically. _A call from Birth Island, from his mate._

"Oh my goodness! Is it the eggs?"

 _Yes! The babies are moving!_

Honda forgot her trepidation about the days events and looked at Takashima with pure joy. "Come on! We're going to Birth Island!"


	2. The Temple

El Valle del Veneno was an unoccupied area in the Andes Mountains. For generations, the people of the region had refused to venture there, and those who did seldom came back alive. However, one brave individual was willing to take the risk. Maria Velázquez was a hiker of local renown, a natural prodigy and the only living person at the time to have gone into the valley and returned in one piece. She had sworn never to go near the accursed place again, but she had a compelling incentive to do so this time.

One week prior, a tall, middle-aged white man visited her village in search of a guide. He sought out Velázquez on a recommendation and stated his intent to explore El Valle del Veneno. The man wanted a local guide rather than a professional who would ask too many questions and draw too much attention to the expedition; in fact, he was so committed to secrecy that he would not even disclose his name. Velázquez was hesitant to go along, but then the man presented her with a multicolored gemstone as large as her fist and promised more treasures to come if she cooperated. His offer was more than sufficient to engage her services.

At the determined date, the man returned to Velázquez's home, this time accompanied by six others. Each wore military-style jungle gear, including fully-stuffed backpacks and balaclavas that covered their faces; just enough skin showed for Velázquez to see that the group was racially diverse, and three appeared to be female. She also observed that, while they were otherwise well-equipped with survival gear, not one of them was armed. "Tell me, Señor," she said to their leader, "why is there not even a machete between the seven of you?"

He replied in an unconcerned tone, "We have no need for weapons."

Velázquez eyed him skeptically. "You do know what 'El Valle del Veneno' means, don't you?"

"The Valley of Venom. Soy fluido en español."

"Sí, but do you know how it came to be called that? The area is swarming with gigantic scorpions, and I do mean gigantic! Believe me; I've seen them."

"Oh, we believe you! But we have all the protection we need."

Velázquez shrugged and slung her trusty carbine over her shoulder. "You do as you like. Just be sure you stay alive long enough to pay me in full."

The man chuckled. "There's more to life than money, young lady."

"Sí! Like traveling the world, going to university, or raising a family. For these things, money helps. Now, then, shall we get going?"

The group departed from the village and trudged over an hour through the rainforest. Velázquez found that her clients followed her every instruction without question or comment, nor did they talk amongst themselves. She worried that they were not thrill-seekers or scientists, but paramilitary or something worse. However, she also afraid of what they might do to her if she did not continue to cooperate.

Eventually the group reached an intimidatingly deep ravine; the ground below was covered by a dense, inscrutable canopy. "Here it is," said Velázquez.

"Incredible," said the leader. "It looks just like how I imagined it. Señora Velázquez, what's the best way to get down there?"

"About forty meters down, there's a slope we can walk on most of the way to the valley floor, but first we need to rappel down to that ledge."

The seven travelers silently knelt and retrieved rappelling equipment from their backpacks. Within seconds, they were all set up and ready to go. Velázquez was still setting up her own kit as they began their descent. They waited silently for her to join them and lead them down the steep trail.

"You were all pretty quick with that," said Velázquez. "I'm surprised you went to the trouble of hiring a guide."

The leader replied, "We are in a hurry and needed to know the fastest way down. You may have saved us an entire day's time by showing us that rappelling spot and this trail." He produced another colorful gemstone from his shirt pocket. "As promised, you'll see many more of such treasures when the day is through."

Velázquez noticed a silver medallion around his neck engraved with the radiant cross, which she assumed was the symbol of a Christian sect. The others wore similar necklaces. This only added to Velázquez's confusion. Were they missionaries hoping to reach unprostelytized indigenous peoples, or zealots in search of a lost holy site? Was she in the company of a doomsday cult?

"You don't seem terribly excited," the leader remarked. "Is something wrong?"

Velázquez began sweating anxiously. "I'm just…I mean, I don't understand…"

"I haven't exactly been straightforward with you, and for that, I am sorry. I wanted to wait until we were far from prying eyes to fill you in. We're explorers in search of ancient ruins. We believe there is one such site somewhere in this valley, and we want to be the first to find it."

"Then why the secrecy? Why the masks?"

With a chuckle, the leader removed his mask; the others did the same. "I'm Emmett Antonio, archaeologist and adventurer. Ever hear of me?"

Velázquez gasped out loud. "Professor Antonio! Yes, I have heard of you! I read your book on the Treasure of Kayetnore; it was amazing!"

"Well, I'm flattered! Unfortunately, ever since then, my team and I have been dogged by…well, let's be nice and call them 'opportunists.' I dig up the past because I want to expand our knowledge and enrich our culture. Others just want to plunder, so we have to cover our tracks."

"I guess that makes sense. So, what are you looking for this time?"

"The Temple of Inagos." Antonio reached into his shirt and pulled out a parchment which he unfolded to reveal a series of arcane symbols. "I copied this from a tablet among the ruins of Kayetnore. It describes the Temple of Inagos and seems to indicate that it's somewhere in this valley. I believe that they were actually part of the same widespread ancient empire. If I can find the temple and prove the connection, it could be the definitive historical discovery of the twentieth century!"

"Wow! Professor, that sounds amazing. I'd be honored to be a part of your discovery!"

"And I'm very grateful for your help. I'll be sure to mention you in my next book."

Velázquez grinned excitedly the rest of the way down the trail. Toward the bottom, Antonio started playing with his pendant. The others began doing the same. Velázquez was curious, but by this point, she was totally onboard.

No sooner had the first foot touched even ground than a deafening crackling noise filled the air. Velázquez shrank back, ready to scramble back up the slope.

Antonio glared at her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"We have to get out of here! Ts-Eh-Go is coming!"

Dozens of car-sized scorpions came pouring out from among the trees, displaying their pincers and flexing their tails. Velázquez began firing at the monsters, landing multiple killshots, while still backing up the trail.

Antonio laughed. "I honestly thought they'd be bigger!"

Velázquez pointed toward the trees. "One of them is!"

The swarm was, as it turned out, the brood of a truly colossal female, who emerged from the forest behind her children. The snapping of her claws made a noise like a bullwhip, and rivers of venom could be seen coursing through her tail as she flexed it.

Velázquez reloaded her gun and continued firing. "Doctor Antonio! We have to retreat! I don't have enough ammo for all of them!"

Antonio clasped his pendant. "No! We've come too far to turn back now!"

Velázquez was shocked and appalled by the professor's attitude. "FINE!" she shouted. "Stay here and get eaten, then! I've got other plans!"

"As do I!" Antonio retorted with a wide, unsettling grin.

The clacking of the scorpions was drowned out by a deep rumbling that shook the valley. The brood ceased their advance in confusion. Suddenly, the ground burst open, sending tons of rock and soil flying. Velázquez shielded her face from the debris; when the dust settled, she uncovered her eyes and saw another giant monster menacing the scorpions. It was a blue, worm-like creature hundreds of meters long with five yellow eyes, rows of curved spines running down its back, and a gaping maw with many jagged teeth.

Velázquez gasped in awe. "¡Dios mío - El Gusano Gigante!"

The juvenile scorpions rushed the newcomer. The worm raised himself up like a cobra and slammed his weight onto the ground, killing many of the brood and tunnelling back into the earth. Ts-Eh-Go, enraged at her loss, rushed toward the hole to pursue El Gusano, only for him to reemerge directly underneath her. The mother scorpion was flipped on her side and struggled feebly to get back on her feet. Her surviving offspring clamored onto her assailant and tried to sting him, but they could not penetrate his tough hide, and they were all killed when El Gusano dove back into the ground, crushing their bodies against the rock while effortlessly boring through it himself.

Ts-Eh-Go finally rolled over onto her feet again. She observed the rise and fall of the soil as El Gusano tunnelled underground, waiting to strike the moment he showed himself. As he appeared to draw nigh, Ts-Eh-Go thrust her stinging tail into the loose earth; the movement stopped and she withdrew the appendage, unsure if she had struck true or not. Antonio and his followers closed their eyes and held their pendants tight. Velázquez saw a soft glow coming from between their fingers.

The ground began to shift again. El Gusano was still alive and on the move, this time circling Ts-Eh-Go repeatedly. She tried unsuccessfully to sting him a few more times. After the worm had made three full circles, the valley floor beneath Ts-Eh-Go collapsed, swallowing her up. Moments later, El Gusano reappeared, grasping Ts-Eh-Go's tail in his mouth. She desperately tried to wriggle free, but the worm reared up and took another plunge into the rock, taking her tail with him, but not the rest of her. Now defenseless, Ts-Eh-Go retreated, but once again, El Gusano attacked from beneath and dragged her out of sight, never to be seen again.

The giant worm resurfaced alone and eyed the newcomers to his valley. Velázquez shakily raised her gun toward him, but Antonio pushed her aside. "Great Worm," he shouted at the creature, "you have served us well! Now, we have another task for you: take us to the Temple of Inagos!"

The worm lowered himself to the ground and Antonio began climbing up the spikes on his side. His team followed suit, but Velázquez, overwhelmed by the battle she had witnessed and the sight of her clients actually trying to ride a giant monster, collapsed in a faint.

When Velázquez awoke, she was laying on a blanket over a surface of stone. She sat up and looked around to see that she was at the base of a forty meter tiered pyramid. At each corner of the structure was an eight meter statue of an upright-standing horned beetle. Professor Antonio and his team stood on the second tier. They had discarded their jungle gear and donned silver togas; the women wore pointed hoods and the men wore turbans, save for Antonio who wore a metal headband.

Velázquez was baffled by the sight. "Professor? What's going on?"

Antonio beamed. "We found it! This is the Temple of Inagos. Isn't it incredible? The other temples were reduced to ruins, but this one is perfectly intact!"

"But why the togas?"

"These are the ceremonial garments worn by the priests of Inagos. We have come here to recreate an important ritual to summon their god."

"Summon their…? Professor, are you crazy?"

"Maybe, but there's only one way to find out!" Antonio tossed a garment to Velázquez. "Won't you join us? You've nothing to lose, save for this opportunity to go down in history!"

Velázquez considered running fast and far in the other direction, but when she looked behind her, she saw El Gusano waiting, watching the temple. Reluctantly, she slipped the toga on over her clothes. _Oh, well_ , she thought. _At least he's not playing cheap._


	3. Something Ancient

Birth Island had changed radically since when it was known as Devil's Island. The tiny isle was blanketed in beautiful flora, including thousands of huge flowers of all colors. Zilla and Komodithrax had carved out a cave in the high mountain, and it was in here that the proud mother-to-be watched over her egg.

Zilla arrived in the early evening with Godzilla by his side, the others having returned to the Kirk Island base. Komodithrax, or Koko as she had been nicknamed, rushed out to greet her mate and excitedly led him to the nest. Godzilla followed, kneeling to see in, while Honda disembarked _Shirasagi_ and entered the cave.

Koko proudly showed her mate and their guests her three eggs, which were about two weeks old. This was Honda's first time seeing them, and she was struck by their similarity to Godzilla's egg. The rush of emotion brought her to tears of joy even before she felt the psychic energy flowing from the embryos. Their parents and grandfather could feel it, too. The embryos were already showing contentedness and curiosity, and they could sense the affection of their family around them.

"Two boys and a girl."

Honda turned to see the speaker behind her, Keiko Ifukube. They approached each other and embraced.

"How have you been?" said Honda.

"Still getting used to it," Keiko replied, fondling the bronze Mothra pendant around her neck. "The dreams aren't so bad anymore, but everything around me still shakes at night."

"That'll die down with time, too. Are you still comfortable here?"

"Definitely. I don't have to worry about causing a commotion, or people peering in on me. Here, I can be alone with my thoughts, and if I need some company, I have Koko, or I can always reach out to Mona and Lora."

"Great! Say, it's been a while since I've spoken to those two. I should drop a line soon."

"Maybe we can make a call together while you're here tonight."

"Oh, I'm afraid we can't stay. General Omori wants us back on base immediately."

"You'll be here. I can sense it."

Honda was about to question what Keiko meant when Takashima emerged from _Shirasagi._ "Doc, got a call from the General. He wants to talk to you."

* * *

" _Congratulations to both of you on a successful mission,"_ Omori said over the radio. _"I'd like to grant you both a few days of shore leave."_

Honda was surprised that Keiko's prediction was right. Was she developing clairvoyant abilities?

"Thank you, General," said Takashima. "Any updates on the investigation?"

" _Yes. The UN is satisfied that Prokofiev's organization has been dismantled. The investigation is concluded."_

"Wait a moment," said Honda. "What about the stolen super weapons still out there? What is the UN doing to stop them from being used against civilians?"

" _For now, it's been decided to allow regional forces to deal with the problem."_

"But that's preposterous! In some of the worst-affected places, the government is under-equipped to combat the threat, and in others, the government itself is using these weapons against their own people!"

" _I know that, but the UN wanted the key manufacturers and dealers out of play, and with that done, the distribution of these weapons is under control-"_

"The situation isn't even remotely under control!"

Omori sighed. _"Look, Doctor, I know it's not ideal, but this is out of my hands. I have other affairs to attend to. Thank you again for your hard work. Dismissed."_

"Thank you, sir," said Takashima, switching off the radio.

Honda slouched in her seat with a groan. "You know what they mean, right? By 'under control'?"

"Of course. The Russians have the separatists back under their thumb, and only the 'good' arms dealers are selling gigantic laser rifles."

"Remember when we were protecting cities from monster attacks, not acting as hired muscle for the superpowers?"

"We do what good we can, Doc."

Honda stood back up. "I don't know how much longer I can tell myself that," she grumbled as she left the cockpit.

* * *

As the sky became black on the far side of the Pacific, Antonio's followers were ready to begin the ritual. Every corner of every tier on the pyramid had a ceremonial torch; with all of them lit, the scene took on an eerie quality. Atop the temple was an altar, and at its center was a curved groove into which Antonio inserted the decorated crystal he acquired from Fang, with the radiant cross facing up.

Velázquez watched the proceedings with skepticism. "It's a lovely rock, sure, but what makes you think this ancient goddess will actually appear?"

"Don't take my word for it," said Antonio. "Touch the rock."

"I don't know, Professor. Something about this feels unclean. Is this some cult thing?"

"I said, touch the rock!"

Velázquez was taken aback by his coarse tone. "What is your problem? Maybe I don't want to play with your stupid rock!"

Suddenly, Velázquez was paralyzed. Antonio's pendant was glowing, and his voice was in her head. _Young lady, I could have extracted everything I needed to know to get here from your mind, but I didn't feel like destroying it in the process. Instead, I'm offering you a chance to be part of something beautiful. Don't refuse us! Now, touch the rock._

Upon being released, Velázquez was still too terrified to move. After a few moments, she reluctantly reached her hand toward the crystal and touched it. Another, female voice was now in her head.

 _Welcome, Velázquez. You have no need to fear. I wish to return so I can restore peace and order to the world. I know why your heart aches. Your people are hungry. Your leaders are cruel. Your dreams may be just beyond your grasp, even with the money you get from those beautiful gems. I can change all of that, if you'll only follow me faithfully._

Velázquez had no idea how to react.

 _I can tell you are still unconvinced. I am sorry for Antonio's behavior. He is my most devoted follower, and he can be overzealous. But you'll believe, too, once you see me._

Antonio placed a hand on Velázquez's arm. "The time has come. Step back." As she and the other followers withdrew, Antonio raised a chisel made of the same purple crystal over his head and struck the jewel with it, shattering them both. There came an explosion of light and a concussive blast that sent Antonio and his followers rolling down the stairs to the next tier of the pyramid. A pulsating beam of purple light shot up from the altar, illuminating the temple and drowning out the light of moon and stars. The beam stretched far beyond Earth's atmosphere, disappearing into the far reaches of outer space.

* * *

On Birth Island, Honda and Keiko had a breathtaking view. The setting sun cast crimson rays over a sea of indigo, and the gentle waves kept time with their slow, full breaths as they prepared to meditate. Gazing toward the beautiful horizon from a ledge halfway up the mountain, the psychics sat side by side with hands joined and concentrated their telepathic energy. Soon, they were in contact with the Wise Ones of Infant Island, Mona and Lora.

Lora was her usual cordial self. "Hello there! It's been so long since we've heard from you, Kumi. How are you?"

"I've been worse."

"I may not be well-versed in modern vernacular, but I know a euphemism when I hear it."

"You got me there. Yeah, I'm worried about the state of things right now. We defeated the Prokofiev organization, but in bringing them down, we may have hurt a lot of innocent people."

Mona sighed. "Your modern politics are a vast and precarious system. Every good deed leads to some new ill, it often seems."

"Right. I just hope that the bloodshed can be contained now that we put an end to the plundering and weaponizing of Nirai-Kanai artifacts."

"I'm afraid not," said Mona. "I can sense that more and more artifacts have been disturbed. I worry what could happen if the Guardian Monsters are found and awakened."

"Guardian Monsters?"

"Yes. Nirai-Kanai had many satellite nations throughout the world. Using their powers of creation, they made warrior monsters to protect their cities. Eventually, these cities were abandoned as their occupants either departed in the interstellar diaspora after Dagara's rampage or remained and assimilated into humanity at large."

Honda found all of this unsettling, but Keiko was excited. "What became of the Guardians?"

"They are still dormant," said Lora. "They can be awakened by any human who can access the power of Nirai-Kanai."

Mona shuddered. "That's why I'm so worried. Some of the relics out there channel power, like your pendants. A person might find one and never know it was anything more than a piece of jewelry. However, depending on how much these Seekers have learned about their true origins, they could unlock that power and revive the Guardians."

"That reminds me," said Honda. "The Seekers have found an artifact adorned with the cross of Mothra - a purple jewel of some kind."

Lora gasped and covered her mouth. Mona grabbed her other hand, squeezing it nervously. "Are you sure of this?"

Honda swallowed nervously. "I heard it from the Seeker who claimed to have found it. She gave it to someone, but whoever it was seemed to have erased themselves from her memory."

"This is bad!" sobbed Lora. "Mothra preserve us! Oh, this is bad!"

Honda's heart beat fast and hard in suspense. "What? What does that jewel mean?"

"That jewel," Mona explained gravely, "belonged to our sister, Belvera, and if it's been unearthed, that can only mean one thing: she means to return, or has already!"

* * *

The Seekers rose to their feet and looked upon the altar as the beam of light dissipated. Where the jewel had been placed, there now stood a tiny four-legged violet-skinned dragon with membranous wings and glowing red eyes. Riding the creature was an even tinier woman in a purple tunic and silver cape. She wore boots, gauntlets, a chestplate, and a purple- and white-plumed crown all fashioned from shimmering black metal, and carried a staff made of the same metal. Also abundant in her attire were the purple crystals; they formed the tip of her staff, the centerpiece of her crown, and a cross of Mothra on her chestplate.

The woman cackled and twirled her staff. "Ah, the planet Earth! It's been millennia, but I'm back at last! Greetings, humans. I am Belvera. Well? Have you nothing to say? Are you awed beyond words at the sight of me?"

Antonio stared in disbelief. "I thought…you would be taller!"

Velázquez gave him a wry look. "THAT is what you find weird about this?"

Belvera rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, I am Belvera of the Elias, the ancient beings who first gave life to the Earth. I left this galaxy many eons ago after becoming disillusioned with the course of humanity. I vowed to return only once the time came to overthrow the corrupt rulers of Earth, bring their depraved civilization to the ground, and rebuild again! Are any of you actually listening?"

The humans, who had been awkwardly gawking at the cosmic being, now uncomfortably glanced at each other and cleared their throats. Even Antonio was utterly dumbstruck.

With a groan of impatience, Belvera struck the altar with her staff, creating a thunderous BOOM! that silenced her audience. "Look, I'm taking over the world. You bitches in or what?"

After a brief moment of silence, Velázquez chuckled. "Okay, I'll bite."

"Just like that?" said Antonio. "You're going along with this?"

The young woman shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, you heard what she said. Everything sucks now! There are giant monsters all over the place, and even with them around to worry about, we still seem more interested in killing each other. The way I see it, new leadership can only make things better!"

Belvera grinned. "Well put, Velázquez. Welcome! Who else?"

Antonio's followers joined in one by one, but he himself remained adamant. "This is madness! You can't all be serious about going along with this idea!"

One of his followers, a young Desi woman, called him out. "Wasn't this excursion your idea, ceremony and all? You told us that we would change the world!"

"Yes, but not by destroying everything we have built! I wanted to usher in a new age of prosperity and collaboration between all of mankind."

Belvera glared at Antonio. "And you think that's possible within the evil system running the world? Bah! You're all talk, Professor! You're wealthy and esteemed, and the only reason you went through all the effort to acquire your powers, attract followers, and summon me here was that you thought you could gain more wealth and esteem by doing so. I have come to tear down the walls impeding progress. You just want to carve your name into them."

"But-"

"Save your breath, Professor. I knew this was who you were from the moment you first made contact with me, but your misguided enthusiasm was temporarily useful to me. Now, I'll give you one last chance: join me or meet your fate!"

Antonio defiantly ripped off his necklace and thrust the pendant toward Belvera's face. "No! I command you, go now! Go back to the shadows-"

His ranting was drowned out by Belvera's uncontrolled giggling. "Oh, my! You are so very adorable. Okay, for real though, last chance! Are you in?"

The professor looked at his pendant with confusion for a moment before holding it out again. "Back to the shadows whence thou hast-"

Belvera's dragon opened his mouth and let loose a burst of purple energy that disintegrated Antonio's hand. As he screamed in pain, Velázquez and the Desi woman shoved him off the top of the pyramid. The professor tumbled head over heels all the way down, landing crumpled and lifeless in the dirt. El Gusano approached and swallowed up his corpse in a single gulp.

"Good boy, Garu Garu!" said Belvera, stroking the dragon's neck as he made a contented purring sound. "And good on the rest of you. There are many more like Antonio who crave the false security of the walls. They will need convincing. We must show them our power! First, we shall set free the Guardians of the ancient world, and for that, I will need your help."

* * *

Keiko was surprised by Mona's explanation. "You never told me there were three of you!"

Mona nodded sadly. "Belvera saw the demise of Nirai-Kanai coming. She tried to convince the humans to stop abusing their powers, then had to watch as they were nearly wiped out by their own creations. She denounced humankind after that and left the Earth, swearing never to return."

"That's not quite what she said," said Lora. "She said she would not return as long as humanity was here to befoul this planet." The blue fairy looked embarrassedly at Honda and Keiko. "Uh, her words, not mine!"

Honda contemplatively scratched her chin. "Then why would she return now with everything being as chaotic and violent as it is?"

Lora shrugged. "Maybe that's just it. She loved the Earth and all of its creatures, so she has probably been keeping an eye on it from wherever she went to. Maybe she figured it was time to intervene."

"That must be it," said Mona. "Those purple crystals were a living power source she created called Batorite. When she left, she hid them away to prevent humans from discovering them and using them to cause any harm to the planet. They couldn't be found by human hands unless she wanted them to."

Honda was further confused. "Why would she, though?"

"So they could use the power of the crystal to return her to Earth from wherever in the universe she's been dwelling all this time."

"That's not all," said Lora. "Remember: the Guardian Monsters! She'll most likely unleash them to destroy anyone she sees as an enemy, but for that, she'll need human helpers to control them."

* * *

Meanwhile, Belvera was giving her new followers the same spiel. "There were seven ancient cities whose inhabitants followed my ways. The cities fell into ruin one after another, but the Guardians they made to safeguard their temples now lie waiting to be awakened once again. I alone cannot control them, as they were made to obey human masters. That is where you come in! Set your necklaces upon the altar."

The followers did as they were told. Belvera waved her staff, and the gold pendants were transformed into statuettes of Batorite resembling different creatures: an arachnid, a scarab, a shisa, an oni, a wolf, a wyvern, and a figure with a combination of avian, reptilian, and insectoid features.

Belvera pointed to Velázquez. "Take the scarab. It will speak to you, and you will know what to do!"

Velázquez took the amulet and placed it around her neck. Upon closing her eyes, she felt an intense power come over her. She was fearful at first, but that fear quickly turned to elation. There was something invigorating about this sensation.

Suddenly, she could sense another consciousness calling out to her. It was sentient, but definitely not human. Velázquez allowed it to join with her. She could feel it drawing energy from her, but also giving energy back, each making the other stronger by the second. Her body trembled from the exponential power increase.

When Velázquez opened her eyes, she realized that she was not the only thing trembling. The ground shook until the stones of the temple seemed as though they would be scattered asunder.

An enormous shape materialized from the ground. At first, it appeared as a mass of golden energy, but gradually it took solid form. It was a biomechanical monster, loosely resembling a rhinoceros beetle that stood upright on four feet. Its eyes seemed to consist of a thousand citrine shards. Its body was mostly copper colored; its elytra and a patch on its chest had tiger-like black and orange stripes, and its mandibles, forked horn, and conical appendages on its front two arms were silvery. The monster thrust these appendages into the air and rotated them, revealing them to be mechanical drills.

"Behold!" Belvera cried ecstatically. "Megalon, Guardian of the Temple of Inagos! Go on, Velázquez. Show us what he can do!"

Velázquez grinned mischievously and looked toward El Gusano Gigante, watching nervously from the opposite side of the temple. "Hey, Megalon," she said with a dark chuckle, "sic 'em!"

The cyborg cleared the temple in a single bound and lunged at the worm, drills spinning and pointed directly at its target. El Gusano let out a frightened gurgle and dove into the ground. Megalon followed him, boring through the rocky valley floor with lightning speed. El Gusano reemerged, squirming in a desperate rush to escape his pursuer. Megalon came up from under him and split him in half at the midsection with his drills. The back half continued to writhe until Megalon incinerated it with a jagged energy beam from his horn. He resumed his chase of El Gusano's front half, flying into the air and diving back onto the worm, thrusting both drills through his head and rotating them, tearing El Gusano's head apart and scattering foul slime all across the valley.

Garu Garu reared his head back and made a whooping noise while Belvera applauded. "Excellent! You can see he's well-rested and ready for a fight! Velázquez, I hereby place you in charge of Megalon, and christen you Tawal, after the last high priestess of this temple." Belvera looked upon the other followers, telekinetically raising their amulets back toward them. "The rest of you shall join her, raising a guardian to obey you and forsaking your former identities. You shall be called Bhatlam, Salno, Ookiimune, Kaidora, Voltrang, and Chuka. Now go! Awaken the Guardian Monsters and make ready for war!"

* * *

Honda placed a hand on Keiko's quivering shoulder to calm her down, hiding her own rising fear. "What do we do? There must be some way to stop them!"

Mona took on an expression of resolution. "Yes. Yes, there's a chance. We'll need you to find the Guardian Monsters before they do and awaken them to join you, or destroy them before they can be turned by Bevlera and her followers."

Lora rubbed her temples in distress. "Sister, did you feel that?"

"I'm feeling it now. A change in the Earth's energy. Belvera may already be here. Kumi, you must make haste in your quest! There are seven Guardians, each one powerful enough to enact unfathomable destruction."

Honda took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Alright. Where do I find them?"

Mona hesitated. "We don't know for sure, actually."

"What? How could you not know?"

Lora smiled awkwardly in embarrassment. "What she means is, we don't know for sure where _all_ of them are! Three of the ancient cities somehow vanished into nothingness long ago. We don't know how, let alone if anything is left of the Guardians."

Mona continued, "We know where the other four are. One is buried within the San Gabriel Mountains, another in the Andes, and two of them are quite near each other in Okinawa."

"That's a start," said Honda. "Takashima and I will leave immediately."

As she stood up to leave, Keiko tugged on her arm. "Please don't go! I can feel that something terrible will happen if you go!"

"What do you mean? What will happen?"

"I don't know, but I can sense something terrible! Violence, maybe even death!"

Honda embraced the young woman warmly. "That risk is all part of the job. I promise you I'll come back safely!"


	4. An Old Grudge

Voltrang could see all of Los Angeles from atop Mount Baldy. It was a sight he had often wanted to see, but in his previous life, he could never find the time to make the trip. Now, having ascended the mountain in the early hours of the morning, he barely allowed himself to appreciate the beautiful view of the sun rising over the ocean before beginning his mission. Clutching the crystal figure of the chimeral monster, Voltrang closed his eyes and used his sixth sense to peer into the heart of the mountains.

The ground shook as far away as Hollywood, eighty kilometers from Mount Baldy. The tremor was not long or intense enough to frighten the average Californian, most of whom assumed it was just regular seismic activity.

Voltrang opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of a monster floating in the air before him. This Guardian was even more bizarre-looking than the amulet suggested. He resembled an upright-standing dragon with dark blue metallic scales and three red fins running down his back. He had a visor-like red composite eye that gave him a permanent sadistic glare. He had cybernetic attachments like Megalon's, but they were more extensive. Oscillating saw teeth ran from his chest to his groin. Each foot ended not with toes but a single hooked blade, and in place of hands he had rotating scythes. His mouthparts consisted of a toothed metal beak and hooked mandibles to the left and right sides of his mouth. Crevices in his armor hinted at more, smaller gadgets all over his body.

Trembling with fear, Voltrang dared to look into the creature's mind for but a moment and saw only bloodlust. The word "guardian" seemed inappropriate for something so clearly designed to strike fear into the enemy. Was he to command such a nightmarish entity? He looked toward the far-off city, and for the first time he doubted his mission. Voltrang wanted to change the world for the better, and while he was prepared to do so with force, he did not crave violence, at least not against the innocent…

Fort MacArthur! Yes, that would suit the mission nicely. Voltrang hated the American military. Surely, if any institution deserved his wrath, it would be them. He looked to the monster and spoke to it out loud. "Gigan! Do not attack the city, but fly low so that its occupants see you in all your macabre glory. There is an army installation on the edge of the sea. Demolish it!"

Shrieking like a banshee, Gigan carried out his orders with glee. Los Angeles erupted into chaos. People ran blindly in all directions as he soared above their heads, proudly displaying his horrific weapons. For twenty minutes, he circled over them, relishing the mayhem, before descending upon his true target.

Fort MacArthur had every anti-monster weapon in existence at its disposal, yet they were all useless in this battle. Gigan shrugged off every projectile and beam attack, rather disappointed that they had nothing more substantial to throw at him. Such puny opponents were unworthy of seeing his full power! The monster strolled through the base with an almost casual gaite, smashing and slicing everything in his path. When a squadron of fighter jets from a nearby air base attacked, Gigan did not bother activating his anti-gravity fins to dignify these pathetic craft with a proper dogfight. Instead, he performed brief hops and flips into the air, demolishing them with his claws and blades.

Suddenly, Gigan was struck by a projectile with sufficient force to topple him off his feet. He was not damaged, but the surprising sensation of fleeting pain and disorientation filled him with rapture at the prospect of a genuine challenge. Whirling around, he spotted several battleships advancing from the sea, firing deadly Frontier missiles. Gigan nimbly dodged them one by one, occasionally knocking them aside with his scythes or catching them in his mouth parts before spitting them onto the ground. Soon, Fort MacArthur was in ruins and the battleships were out of missiles.

Seeing that his enemies had nothing else to use against him, Gigan decided to end the party with a bang. Emitting a crackling red beam of energy from his composite eye, he strafed the battleships, wiping them out with spectacular explosions. Ignited fuel spread across the surface of the water, creating a sea of smoke and flame that Voltrang could see from his mountain perch.

"Well done," he said. "Now for a standup fight!"

* * *

Kiryoku-shima was an island on the northern end of the Okinawa chain, a popular tourist site owing to its unique culture, large populations of several endangered plant and animal species, and two gigantic statues at the base of its tallest mountain. Both resembled traditional Japanese ornamental grotesques, respectively a long-maned shisa and an armored onigawa carrying an otsuchi, or samurai warhammer. The statues, dubbed Kingu Shisa and Gekido Jin respectively but known together as Ishi no Kaiju or Stone Beasts, faced each other in fighting poses, the shisa showing its claws and the onigawa brandishing its weapon.

This juxtaposition added to their mystery, as the builders were unknown and the history of the island itself was not well-documented. Some had speculated that the Ishi no Kaiju were built by the original inhabitants to depict the resistance by traditional Ryukyuan culture against the Satsuma invasion in the seventeenth century, or against the unification of the Three Kingdoms under King Sho Shin in the fifteenth century. However, these explanations were hotly disputed, and the people of Kiryoku-shima held that the Ishi no Kaiju predated both events. According to their mythology, the statues were once alive and nearly destroyed all of Okinawa with their fighting, but were stopped by the intervention of the princess Miyarabi.

On this night, the truth would finally be revealed.

 _Shirasagi_ arrived in the middle of the night, having come straight from Birth Island. Godzilla stayed out of sight beneath the waters of the sea as the aircraft set down in a clearing on the island. Takashima followed Honda through the forest to the site of the statues. "Crazy, right, Doc? You know, I've always wanted to visit this place and see the Ishi no Kaiju, but I never got around to it."

Honda sighed as a feeling of intense nostalgia came over her. "My mom was Ryukyuan. She took me here a few times. Dad didn't like traveling, said Tokyo had everything we could possibly want to see, but Mom would take me and we'd have some girl time."

"Did you ever imagine then that the Ishi no Kaiju were built by ancient magic users fighting for supremacy over the island?"

"Actually, yes, that is more or less what four year-old me imagined."

"Oh, really? Hm…Yeah, I can see that. Whoa! Is that them?"

They could see the Ishi no Kaiju between the thinning trees, looming even larger and more breathtaking than Honda remembered. The statues were illuminated by bonfires, and the air was filled with the pounding of drums and the bright plucking of shamisen.

"Sounds like a party," said Takashima.

"Yes, the Festival of Miyarabi."

"Neat! I hear they break out the best wine for that."

"Makes our job a little harder, though. We either have to wake up the Ishi no Kaiju, or get Godzilla to destroy them. I doubt the islanders will be amenable to either suggestion."

The wide clearing at the base of the mountain was filled with revelers, mostly locals but with a fair number of visitors watching or awkwardly attempting to join in the dancing. Honda and Takashima stood at the edge of the crowd but did not join in the revelry for fear of attracting curious eyes.

"Well?" said Takashima. "How do you want to break the news?"

Honda pensively tapped her foot to the familiar beat. "I don't really know. Maybe we should wait for things to calm down a bit."

They waited for quite a while, enjoying the sights and sounds while wondering when and how to take action. Two yotsudake dancers in makeup and colorful garments approached them. "Welcome!" said one. "I am Ookiimune, and this is Kaidora. We couldn't help but notice your uniforms. Japanese Air Defence?"

Honda hesitated, sensing something off about these dancers, but Takashima answered right away, "Actually, we're with Project G. We, uh, came to see the festival! We're on shore leave, so…just figured…you know, might as well."

Kaidora smiled and nodded silently; Honda still could not put her finger on it, but something about the dancer's expression seemed dubious.

Ookiimune handed a cup to both visitors. "Well, we hope you both have a wonderful time! Now, why not try some of our world-famous sake?"

"Don't mind if I do!" said Takashima, holding out his cup as Kaidora poured their drinks. However, just as he and Honda raised their sake to drink, Honda noticed a dead serious glare on Kaidora's face. Then she noticed that the silent dancer's eyes were bright blue. She was Caucasian, and these were imposters.

One word came to Honda's mind: poison!

"Wait!" she said, placing a hand on Takashima cup.

Before the pilot could react, they were both thrown to the ground by an invisible force. The Seekers' telekinetic powers had been greatly enhanced with Belvera's help. The revelers barely noticed the commotion until Kaidora and Ookiimune turned their attention on the Ishi no Kaiju. The stone began to crack and fall away, bit by bit, causing the crowd to at first gaze in astonishment before running for their lives.

Honda jumped back to her feet and telekinetically yanked Kaidora toward her. The blue-eyed imposter reached for her neck; Honda sensed the energy radiating from her Batorite amulet and targeted it, ripping the necklace away and pulling it right into her hand. However, as soon as she touched it, the Batorite disintegrated; Belvera had enchanted the amulet to not fall into the hands of her enemies.

Kaidora turned to flee, but was crushed to death under a portion of falling stone. Ookiimune and Honda locked minds and tried to overpower one another. As Honda started to gain the upper hand, Ookiimune sensed that Gekido Jin was wide awake and commanded him to aid her.

Honda looked up and saw the monster, freed from his rocky shell; his black and red armour shimmered over green, stoney skin. Gekido Jin's fierce visage leered at her. He raised his otsuchi over his head, preparing to smash it down upon her. Honda tried to run, but Ookiimune held her firmly in place.

Something slammed into Gekido Jin's side, knocking him over. Kingu Shisa had also been freed, his bronze body and golden mane shimmering in the fire light. In the absence of Kaidora's control, the Ryukyuan monster had reverted to his past mission: fighting Gekido Jin!

Ookiimune found that she could not control both of the Ishi no Kaiju, so instead, she ordered Gekido Jin to vanquish his old enemy before turning her own ire back on Honda. _Belvera_ , she said telepathically, _give me the strength to defeat my enemy!_

Gekido Jin knocked Kingu Shisa off balance with a blow from his otsuchi. However, on the backswing, his opponent punched the hammerhead with maximum force, smashing it to bits. The two traded blows hand to claw, and it soon became apparent that Kingu Shisa was the superior in terms of raw strength. A well-placed strike obliterated Gekido Jin's left arm, but he retaliated by tackling the shisa to the ground.

The whole island shook, tossing the duelling psychics off their feet. Ookiimune scrambled upright again, but tripped over her gown and tumbled into a puddle of mud. Honda was on her in a flash, tearing away the crystal pendant. Honda quickly tapped into its power, hoping she might learn something in the short time she had it. She saw Belvera watching from somewhere unknown.

The fairy grinned at her. "Ah, so you're my sisters' little friend! I have such plans for you!"

Then the amulet blinked out of existence. Honda and Takashima dragged Ookiimune away from the scene of the battle, hoping to gain some information from her once she regained consciousness.

Gekido Jin placed the stump of his arm against the rocky ground, which formed into a new arm. The two monsters rolled around, throttling and pummeling each other. Kingu Shisa managed to get on top, but Gekido Jin kicked him off and almost instantly formed a new hammer from the materials of the island. The Ishi no Kaiju sized each other up, watching for a weakness to exploit.

It was at this moment that Godzilla entered the fray, roaring his challenge as he charged through the forest. Upon his arrival, the three looked at each other with some uncertainty, none knowing which of the others was the gravest threat.

Gekido Jin made the first move, lunging toward Godzilla with his hammer raised up high. However, Godzilla dodged the attack and seized his assailant's weapon by the handle, wrenching it from his hands. With one hard swing, Godzilla smashed the onigawa to pieces with his own weapon, which also shattered on impact.

Kingu Shisa crouched in preparation to leap upon the challenger, but Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath. The Guardian did not retreat as the blue flame engulfed his head; he remained in place, resisting the onslaught until Godzilla relented. A green gem on the shisa's forehead glowed and pulsed as he turned his attention toward Gekido Jin, whose fragmented body had begun reassembling itself. Kingu Shisa unleashed the energy he had absorbed in a searing rainbow of death on the remains, reducing them to molten rock, and then to ash. Gekido Jin was no more.

Realizing that his energy attacks would be of no use, Godzilla flexed his arms and prepared to fight claw-to-claw. However, it quickly became apparent that he was outmatched; Godzilla was stronger, but not by much, and Kingu Shisa was more agile and capable of a wider range of moves. In fact, the ancient guardian used a sophisticated form of martial arts, and he could block any attack Godzilla used against him - or so it seemed.

Kingu Shisa's fighting style was built around targeting an opponent's center of gravity, and while Godzilla's posture was upright and his build roughly humanoid, there was one pivotal difference: his tail, which functioned almost like a third leg to steady him against the tremendous force expelled while using his breath attack at full power. It also meant that his center of gravity was lower than it might otherwise have been by just enough to make Kingu Shisa's attacks slightly less effective. Most importantly, however, his tail was in itself a weapon the guardian was unprepared for.

Godzilla kept his enemy's attention on his arms, chest, and sides. When Kingu Shisa tried to put him in a lock from the side, Godzilla quickly wrapped his tail around one of the guardian's legs, gripping too hard for him to kick free. He then bent his knees, pushing his center of gravity even lower so that he could not be forcibly moved. Finally, he swung his tail all the way around before releasing Kingu Shisa, flinging him against the side of the mountain with sufficient force to create an avalanche, burying the guardian alive.

Honda and Takashima witnessed the fight from the forest. Godzilla watched the pile of rocks, expecting Kingu Shisa to burst out at any moment. Instead, he seemed to be struggling to free himself, instead only shifting the massive boulders around.

Honda cautiously approached the site. She clasped her pendant and spoke to Kingu Shisa through the rubble. _Ancient Guardian, can you hear me? The time has come to defend the Earth once again._

She sensed that Kingu Shisa had heard but was reluctant to answer.. Hoping to convince him, Honda looked to Godzilla and gave a nod. He responded by digging away the rubble. Once freed, Kingu Shisa stood up and eyed Godzilla curiously. He then looked to Honda and saw her pendant. Recognizing the symbol of Mothra, he knelt and bowed his head, indicating that he would side with them.

Honda breathed a sigh of relief. Now there were two fewer ancient monsters to worry about.


	5. Family Drama

Mona quietly mediated through the night in the chamber atop the pyramid, never moving from one spot. Lora alternated between flying around the valley in her moth form and pacing around the pyramid apex. Both were deep in thought on the sudden return of their sister. They could now the Guardians stirring from their ancient slumber and dreaded what the monsters could do.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Belvera and Garu Garu in their midst. The dark fairy dismounted and stood before her sisters. For a while, they all three stared at each other in uncomfortable silence.

Lora was the first to move, approaching Belvera with arms wide open. Belvera burst into tears, and the two embraced. There were no words. Both were sad and angry, but they were still sisters with a deep love for one another.

Mona closed her eyes and turned her face away.

Belvera's mood changed abruptly. She pulled Lora off of her and angrily yelled at Mona. "You won't even look at me! How many thousands of years, and you won't even look at me?"

Without turning her head, Mona muttered, "You left. Thousands of years ago, you were the one who left."

"But I'm back now!"

Mona finally opened her eyes and matched Belvera's glare. "Why? Why did you come back now?"

"To save our home!"

"Our home? You've been gone so long, you can't even draw power from the Earth anymore. That's why you need the Batorite."

"What's your point?"

"That this isn't your home anymore!"

Belvera stomped toward Mona, but Lora placed herself between them. "Please! Belvera, please. What's your plan? What do you think you and your followers will accomplish?"

Belvera took a step back and looked out over the islanders below, rising with the sun as dawn broke over Infant Island. "The people look strong and happy. You've cared for them well. It's funny, I think there are about the same number now as when I left. I can't say the same for the rest of humanity. They number in the billions now. I see their love of making war and poisoning the Earth has grown in step with their numbers." She spun on her heel and glared at her sisters. "What have either of you done about it?"

Mona was unsure what to say. She knew that she had not kept her promise to prevent humanity from threatening the world again as they had done when creating Dagara.

Lora spoke up, a touch of anger in her voice. "And what do you plan to do?"

"Simple. If humanity can't be convinced to respect this world, I will force them to! The Guardian Monsters will prove to them once and for all how useless their modern weapons are against the powers of the Earth itself. Those who will not forsake their evil ways and join us will die, if it comes to that."

Lora, now incensed, raised her staff against Belvera. "You will not harm these people! I won't let you!"

Belvera hopped backward as Lora lashed out with her staff. Garu Garu snarled and prepared to attack, but his mistress kicked him in the side. "No, Garu Garu! No!" The little dragon whined and backed away.

Lora stood panting, clutching her staff tightly as though she were strangling someone. "How can you even suggest such a thing?"

Belvera shook her head, more tears running down her face. "I never wanted it this way. I still don't. But what else can we do? Humanity will wipe itself out in another thousand years, if not sooner."

Lora lowered her staff. "There is still goodness in this world, good people who will love and care for it."

"I know. I wouldn't be here with you now if I didn't know that to be true. But tell me honestly, what would you have me do: save them and stop the others by any means necessary, or let every last one of them be destroyed anyway by those who will not turn from evil?"

Mona and Lora were silent. Belvera's dilemma was a grave matter, neither solution was desirable, and there seemed to be no other way.

"I know that this is hard," said Belvera, "but I have to do this." She climbed up onto Garu Garu and was about to instruct him to take flight when she noticed a man among the natives below. "Is that an outsider?"

Lora looked over the edge. "Yes. His name is Ito. He came here by accident. He was tired of the outside world, so we let him stay."

Belvera flashed a bittersweet smile. "There's still some hope for them, but that hope grows fainter every day. The time to act is now. I hope to see you both again soon, sisters. Go, Garu Garu!" Her mount flapped his wings and carried her away.

Lora was silent for another moment before turning on Mona. "You didn't say a thing after I had to come in between you two. Why? What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…she has a point."

"Don't tell me you side with her now!"

"I really don't know. We should consider what to do next carefully."

Before departing, Belvera looked upon the Mothra twins, Ame and Take, who chirped at her in recognition. "Why, hello, my sweethearts! Aww, here are two of you now! Old Auntie Belvera is back. I'm going to make sure that the humans don't cause any more harm to our beautiful planet - or to you."

Kingu Shisa and Godzilla followed the _Shirasagi_ back to Birth Island. As Takashima piloted the airship, Honda removed Ookiimune's disguise and rubbed away her makeup. The revelation of the imposter's true identity elicited a gasp of disbelief and disgust.

Takashima called back to her, "What's wrong?"

Honda carried Ookiimune to the cockpit and showed him her face.

"Oh my god! Is it really her?"

Shaking in distress, Honda nodded and grimly muttered, "Agent 9!"

Sure enough, the Saradian spy who had once been their ally against the Seekers had now become one herself. Unable to contain her anger, Honda used her telepathy to stir her former friend's mind and rouse her from slumber.

Agent 9 awoke with a gasp and scrambled out of Honda's arms, cowering against the wall of the cockpit. "Don't hurt me!" she moaned as Honda loomed over her. "I can explain!"

Honda balled up a fist. "You had better!"

"I will! Please, don't hurt me!"

"Quit your sniveling and talk!"

"Alright, alright!" Agent 9 raised herself into the co-pilot's seat, breathing heavily all the while. "How much do you already know?"

"We know of Belvera and her plan to resurrect the Guardian Monsters to enforce her will."

"And what about my country? Have you bothered keeping up with politics outside of doing the UN's gruntwork?"

Honda remembered what Omori had said about the UN not promising aid to countries still under attack with Prokofiev's weapons. "Oh, no! Don't tell me they…"

"Yes, the terrorists. They overthrew the government and massacred the loyalists, including most of my fellow agents; if I hadn't been on a mission abroad, I would have been murdered along with them. Saradia was supposed to be a new beginning for my people, but now we're on the brink of losing everything we fought for, and the rest of the world is just going to let it happen!"

Takashima sighed regretfully.

Honda lowered her face in shame. "I'm so sorry, Agent…I mean…"

"Oh, what's the point? The Saradia I loved is no more. My real name is Mavia."

"Alright, Mavia. I really am sorry, but-"

"And it's not just Saradia, either. You know I have no love for Prokofiev's gang, but so far every Rolisican captured by UN forces has been shipped to Russia and executed for treason."

"But that can't be! Surely-"

Mavia angrily rose to her feet, glaring into Honda's eyes. "Try me, Doctor! Read my mind!"

Honda nervously did as she asked. Mavia had gone on a mission with Tcherepnin and, when he did not know she was listening, she overheard him discussing the executions of prisoners. She later confirmed this with a source inside the Kremlin. It was all true.

Honda thought back to Ivanov, the mech pilot whose life she had spared during the battle of Opono Island. Had he met the same fate? With Rolisica about to fall back under Soviet control, would Ivanov's family be executed, too, or sent to the gulags? Revolted and ashamed, she slumped to the floor.

Mavia, weary from being probed, sat down next to her, eyes moist and voice quivering. "This didn't just happen on its own. The UN is complicit, and so is every member nation. There must be a reckoning."

Their commiseration was interrupted by a call over the _Shirasagi_ 's radio. _"Omori to Honda, Omori to Honda. Do you read me, Honda?"_

She reluctantly answered. "Loud and clear, Omori. What is it?"

Omori's tone was angry and condescending. _"Honda! Where the hell have you been? Los Angeles was attacked at the crack of dawn and you were nowhere to be found. Shore leave doesn't mean you ignore distress calls!"_

"General, I'm sorry. We weren't with the ship for a few hours. What happened to the monster?"

" _We sent Rodan and Titanosaurus after it, but it disappeared into the upper atmosphere."_

Honda looked questioningly at Mavia, who muttered the name, "Belvera."

" _There was another incident on Kiryoku-shima, too. The reports are sketchy, but some witnesses are saying it was a monster attack. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"_

Honda's mind raced. She wondered if anyone else had seen them at the festival. Also, for all she knew, Omori had already sent someone to check Birth Island and knew they were not there. She was not a great liar, but she had to say something quick. "Kiryoku-shima? Taki and I stopped by there earlier to check out the festival, but we didn't stay long."

" _Did you bring Godzilla with you?"_

Honda hesitated. For all she knew, Omori might have gone to Birth Island already and called them from there. "Yes, he came with us, but we never saw any other monster activity, and we left before anything happened."

Omori was quiet for a moment. _"I see. Very well. Report back to Iwato Island ASAP."_

"Yes, sir."

Takashima groaned in exasperation. "What are we going to tell him?"

"I don't know. I deliberately didn't tell him about the Wise Ones or any of this magic stuff because I didn't want to risk someone that high up drawing attention to it. At this point, even if I told him, I don't think he'd believe."

"I guess we'll just have to wing it."

"Don't worry. I'll think of something. We should probably drop off Kingu Shisa some…wait, hold on!" Honda held her pendant tightly to focus her energy, and a look of horror came over her face. "Oh, no! Taki, get us to Birth Island as fast as you can! Keiko's in trouble!"

Keiko cowered in the back of Zilla and Koko's cave, sending out a telepathic SOS. The mother lizard guarded her eggs while the father placed himself between the cave and two enemies advancing from the east, barely visible amidst the shadows of the dawn.

Voltrang and Tawal channeled the power of their Batorite crystals to create a glowing aura around themselves, granting them the ability to fly. They flew a short distance behind Gigan and Megalon, both of whom cackled excitedly in anticipation of a fight.

Zilla held his ground, knowing that the odds were stacked against him but determined to defend his family at any cost.

Tawal looked to Voltrang. "Shall we begin?"

Voltrang nodded grimly. He still did not relish the violence the Guardian Monsters could unleash, but he was committed to the cause.

Gigan and Megalon strafed the ground with their energy attacks. Zilla leaped about quickly, deftly avoiding the blasts. The Guardians landed on the island, fiercely displaying their weapons. Megalon spun his drills. Gigan revved his saw. Zilla watched them both carefully, waiting to see which would strike first. The frightened Koko desperately wanted to help her mate, but he telepathically warned her against getting involved and leaving the children vulnerable.

After a short while of sizing up their quarry, the Guardians performed a coordinated attack. Gigan made a lunge toward Zilla's right side while Megalon fired his beam to the right. Zilla jumped straight up, avoiding the beam but receiving a bone-deep slash across the right thigh. He landed awkwardly but did not fall. Gigan struck him again across the face, sending him staggering back with his belly exposed. Zilla narrowly avoided a jab to the stomach and, with his leg already healed, bounded high into the air, right over Gigan's head and striking his head with his tail. The cyborg staggered away, dazed, and his opponent prepared to strike again from behind.

However, Megalon, who had burrowed into the island as the other two fought, now burst up from the ground directly beneath Zilla. One drill shredded his left foot, leaving only a stump. Zilla fell onto his side; regenerating a foot would take much longer than a flesh wound, leaving him at the mercy of the Guardians towering over him.

Komodithrax took a step toward the cave entrance, ready to join in, but again Zilla begged her not to abandon the eggs. She was at the edge of her self-control; her mate was outmatched and severely outclassed, and something told her that they had not just come for him.

Zilla, unable to stand up, tried to power up his breath attack, but his damaged spines could only produce a meager burst of green sparks that hardly fazed his assailants. Gigan recovered quickly and stabbed him through the shoulder, pinning him down. Megalon rotated his drills and prepared to plunge them into Zilla's head.

Komodithrax leaped onto Megalon's back, tackling him to the ground. Gigan spun around, unwittingly pulling out his blade far enough from Zilla's shoulder for him to break free. His foot had partially regenerated, just enough for him to jump onto Gigan's back, beyond the reach of his blades, and claw at his eye.

Megalon pressed his drills and horn into the ground, using both to force himself upright despite the weight of his adversary on his back. Komodithrax was thrown aside, and before she could recover, Megalon was on her, slashing her across the belly with his drills. She shrieked in agony, and Zilla cried out with her. Keiko covered her eyes as Megalon raised both drills and thrust them deep into Komodithrax's gut.

Zilla bellowed with anger and despair at the death of his mate. Gigan used his anti-gravity fins to propel himself upward and spin in the air, tossing his opponent to the ground before returning to his feet. Megalon prepared to attack from behind, but Gigan shooed him away, determined to make the kill on his own. Zilla staggered upright again, glowering and gnashing his teeth. Gigan taunted him by striking his blades together and squawking mockingly.

In a move of pure rage, Zilla charged, but Gigan thrust with his left blade, impaling him through the chest. The air went out from Zilla's lungs; he was trapped and mortally wounded. With another shrill cackle of morbid delight, Gigan swung his right blade in an arc, beheading Zilla.

Keiko still had her eyes closed, but she sensed Zilla's light blink out. She feared that she could not defend herself against Belvera's followers and their monsters, so all she could do was stay hidden.

Voltrang and Tawal landed on the beach and began strolling about with their hands outstretched. Keiko caught just a glimpse of them as they passed by the cave opening. They were obviously looking for something, but she had no idea what. All the while, she remained crouched out of sight, hardly daring to breathe.

Finally, after fifteen excruciating minutes, the Seekers stopped at the edge of one of the deep pits dug by the Red Bamboo's prisoners. Tawal snapped her fingers, and Megalon dove into the pit, drilling even deeper into the ground. He emerged seconds later, shrugging off tons of rock. Buried deep in the island was a huge stash of Batorite, shining like a million violet stars. Tawal pointed her amulet toward the crystals in the ground, and one by one, they floated into the air.

"We've got it," she said to Voltrang. "Ready to go?"

Voltrang looked back toward the cave. "Just a moment."

Keiko dared to take two steps out from the nest, hoping to see what was creating the glow, when Voltrang appeared at the front of the cave. The two of them locked eyes and Keiko froze. Time passed, and they both just stared at one another. Then Voltrang's pendant emitted a bright flash, and Keiko collapsed unconscious.

"Voltrang!" called Tawal. "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing," he said, stepping away from the cave. "Let's roll."

 _Shirasagi_ came within sighting distance of Birth Island just as Gigan and Megalon had disappeared from view. Honda had sensed Zilla's psychic pain but did not want to believe what her gut told her. However, it was just as she feared. The lifeless bodies of Zilla and Komodithrax lay side by side, arms outstretched as though futily reaching for each other in death. Zilla's head was a hundred meters away from his body, and Komodithrax had been completely disemboweled. Their sadistic destroyers had made a point to gruesomely mutilate their remains, seemingly for their own pleasure.

Honda looked Mavia dead in the eyes. Her old friend shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't want…"

"Did you know?" Honda growled. "Did you know this was going to happen?"

Mavia averted her eyes. "Belvera wants Godzilla and the rest of Project G exterminated."

"Don't talk like that. Don't say 'Belvera wants' as if that excuses what you were complicit in. You're the one who tried to poison me, remember?"

"No! No, not to poison you! Belvera wants you alive. My partner and I were just trying to drug you."

Takashima reached for his sidearm. "You better not be thinking of giving us any more trouble."

Mavia looked down upon the bodies of Zilla and Komodithrax. "I didn't want this to happen. You're right, Doctor. I'm sorry. This can't be the way."

The airship landed and Honda ran to the cave. She was relieved to find the eggs intact and Keiko alive, albeit groggy as Honda roused her from sleep. "Keiko! Keiko, wake up! What happened?"

Keiko groaned and mumbled, "I saw him."

"You saw who?"

Keiko blinked and shook her head, trying to fully rouse herself. Once her eyes open, tears flowed. "Oh, Kumi! It was awful! They murdered Zilla and Koko! Then they dug up more crystals and left, but first I saw-" Keiko froze, eyes wide in shock. "Oh, no! It _was_ him!"

"Who!?" Honda placed her hands on Keiko's shoulders. "Look at me! Tell me who you saw!"

Keiko closed her eyes and whimpered the name, "Doctor Yuma!"

Honda's face became dead white. It was not true. It could not be true! And yet she sensed that Keiko was speaking in earnest. Honda turned around and saw Mavia there, facing down in shame. The former spy explained, "Doctor Yuma joined the Seekers of Seatopia shortly before I did. He has sworn vengeance on the armies of the world. I didn't have the heart to tell you sooner. I'm sorry."

Outside, Godzilla slumped to his knees with a mournful bellow between the bodies of his surrogate son and his mate. After placing Zilla's head with the rest of the body, he touched the thick layer of flora on the ground, the remains of Biollante, and spoke to them. _Beautiful plants, give my children rest._

Vines rose from the earth and wrapped around the bodies of Zilla and Komodithrax, pulling them into the ground. Godzilla moaned again, turning away from the burial. He could sense the eggs in the cave. His grandchildren lived, and they, too, felt the terrible loss of their parents.

Honda stood up and wiped away tears. "Where are they going next?"

"The next step," Mavia explained, "is to wipe out the government capitals of leading nations in the UN, beginning with simultaneous attacks on Washington, Tokyo, Moscow, New Delhi, London, Beijing, and Seoul. Once they awaken the remaining Guardians, they'll strike all at once."

Honda apprehensively pondered their next move. With Kingu Shisa turned to their side and Gekido-Jin destroyed, they could count on two cities being spared in the immediate attack, but there was no way to predict which two. Furthermore, protecting all five cities would still require the full strength of G-Force, including Rodan, Titanosaurus, Kong, and Anguirus.

"What will you do?" asked Mavia.

"I don't think we have much of a choice. We're going to have to contact General Omori and tell him the full story. But first, I have another call to make."

Unbeknownst to Mavia, Belvera was still able to see and hear everything she did through a telepathic link. The dark fairy realized at once that Omori might not only be Honda's best chance of stopping her, but also her Achilles' heel. Meeting Voltrang and Tawal as they approached the center of the Adona archipelago, Belvera issued new orders and took the Batorite supply they had brought her.

True to Keiko and Mavia's testimony, the Seeker known as Voltrang was the once great Doctor Adam Yuma, a veteran turned scientist whose postwar cynicism toward all matters military and political had only intensified after being abducted by the Red Bamboo and seeing his tormentor Professor Fang easily evade justice. He had seen in many forms the horrors unleashed by nationalism and militarism, and when, during his self-imposed exile from the world, he learned of Antonio and his contract with Belvera, Yuma decided to join, believing it was time for a clean slate.

Honda found a small, secluded cave and knelt to commune with the Wise Ones. She saw clearly before her Lora alone in the temple, red-eyed from crying.

"Hello, Kumi."

"Hello, Lora. Where's Mona?"

"Mona is…well, she asked to be left alone to meditate. Belvera came to the island earlier and confirmed our suspicions. Even still, we both realized just how much we missed her. Needless to say, Mona has some complicated emotions to work through."

"I can certainly imagine. Listen, I know this is probably a hard thing to ask of you, but we need the Mothras' help if we're going to defeat the Guardians."

Lora shook her head regretfully. "The twins are preparing to metamorphose. The process could take weeks or months. I'm sorry. I wish I could help."

"I understand. Tell Mona I understand how she feels, too. I promise you I won't hurt Belvera if I can help it. Maybe I can change her mind."


	6. Seek and Ye Shall Find

Belvera's last three followers - Chuka, Bhatlam, and Salno - had been dispatched to find the remaining Guardians. The ruins of Kayetnore were located in Thailand, and according to Belvera, the remaining cities were in Tanzania and Nepal, respectively. However, they were unable to locate any sign of the Guardian Monsters; in fact, aside from Kayetnore, there was nothing left to find of the cities themselves.

Growing increasingly frustrated, the three Seekers psychically linked with each other to amplify their power. Upon doing so, they felt the presence of an intense mystical force. Triangulating its position, they converged on a location in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The area in question appeared to be a hilly, barren island. As the Seekers drew near - Chuka from the west, Bhatlam the east, and Salno the north - a red dragon-like creature swooped down from amongst the clouds and snatched Chuka out of the air. Fearing a similar fate, Bhatlam dropped his altitude until he was practically skimming the water, only to be dragged underneath by another monster.

Salno desperately raced toward the island, hoping that she could awaken her Guardian Monster to fend off the dragons, or at least find shelter among the hills. As she approached, she saw that they were actually dunes of rust-red sand. She reached land and was about to set down when a third beast emerged from the island itself, burrowing upward through the sand. Salno pulled up, climbing at full speed, but the creature lunged and caught her in his mouth. He did not chew or swallow her, but held her in his mouth as he tunneled back into the ground.

The inside of the dragon's mouth was even hotter than one might reasonably assume given that it was, after all, the inside of a dragon's mouth. Salno felt as if the stifling air would melt the flesh from her bones or turn her lungs to ash. All she could do was keep her eyes and mouth tightly closed, and hope that the monster was not just saving her for later.

Salno tried to probe his mind, but found that he was resistant to her powers. This was definitely not the Guardian she had been sent to activate, nor was he any average monster. This was something else entirely.

After what felt like an eternity, the dragon ceased its tunneling and opened his mouth, dropping his captive onto the ground. Salno wiped the monster drool away from her mouth and took a deep breath; she wiped the rest away from her face, opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings. She was in a cave of red sandstone, fully illuminated by an orb of shining tangerine crystal. Chuka and Bhatlam were on either side of her, both wiping themselves down.

Salno looked behind her and saw the dragon-like monsters that had brought them in. Their hides had the same brownish-red color as the sand and rock of the island, and each had a similarly stocky build and a round face with two ear-like leathery frills, such that they looked like nothing else so much as scaly French bulldogs. The dragons were immediately distinguishable by not only their anatomical specializations - the digger's long, thick claws, the flyer's huge wings on its back, and the swimmer's Y-shaped tail rudder - but by their horns, which had the same brilliant tangerine glow as the crystal orb above. The digger had a long, forward-curved horn between his eyes, the flyer had three spikes forming a sort of mohawk atop her head, and the swimmer had two elephantine tusks embedded in her jowls.

A female voice echoed through the cave. "It has been a long time."

Before the Seekers stood a woman, evidently of mixed South Asian and Himalayan descent, petite in build but with a posture that conveyed authority and grace. Tucked into her coiffed hair was a gold tiara adorned with more crystals, and she was draped in a robe of gold weave. The Seekers deduced that she was a head of state - but what state? She was accompanied by an East Asian man and an African woman each wearing a blue tunic decorated with bronze leaf and white frills, and five guards of varied race and gender wearing red tunics overlaid with gold-finished titanium chainmail and carrying spears tipped with crystal blades.

Salno was confused. "Yes, a long…long time since…"

The woman in gold nodded. "I know of the silver robes of Nirai-Kanai's messengers, but I have never seen them myself. Not since the days of the Divided Cities have we seen messengers from outside. You have my apologies for your unpleasant journey down here. Our draconian protectors can be overzealous. What news have you from the Elias?"

Bhatlam stood up and bowed his head. "Greetings. We have been sent by Belvera. We bring news of her return to Earth. I am Bhatlam, Seeker of-"

The guards pointed their spears at Bhatlam and the East Asian man glared at him. "You lie! I myself am descended from Bhatlam of Kayetnore, and you look nothing like our people! Who are you really?"

The Seeker whom Belvera had given the name Bhatlam was Caucasian, an Englishman. Although Salno and Chuka were Desi and African American respectively, and thus at least resembled the people of the regions they had been sent to, they both now wondered if their ceremonial names could be similarly troublesome.

The so-called Bhatlam kneeled and swallowed hard. "My name is Derrick Cramer. Belvera gave me the name as a title. We were not aware that Kayetnore still existed."

"It doesn't." The royal woman looked at the other two Seekers. "And who are you?"

The Desi Seeker cleared her throat. "I am Sara Nelliyattu."

Chuka added, "And I am Michael Coogler. We meant no disrespect. To whom have we the privilege of speaking?"

"I am Queen Maz Dulina Salno, and these are my advisors, Malmez and Suton. The three ancient kingdoms you came to find are now one: Seatopia!"

The Seekers exchanged a look of excitement. Nelliyattu said, "Queen Salno, we bring urgent news. The outside world is on the verge of destruction. If we are to save it, we need to awaken the Guardian Monsters."

The Queen was horrified. "You have no idea what you are suggesting! If you set the Guardian Monsters on the warpath, they will never stop. They could destroy the world with their bloodlust!"

Coogler shook his head. "The world is already being destroyed without their help."

Cramer pointed to the dragons behind him. "These fellows seem to obey you just fine!"

"The Royal Dragons are not the Guardian Monsters you came to find. They were deactivated because of their violent nature. We created Baragon, Mogu, and Zaninga to guard against intruders, not to fight in wars. They will remain here with us."

Suton and Malmez stepped forward. The former spoke, "We support our queen's decision."

Coogler made one more plea. "Please! This cannot go on! We must-"

Queen Salno's tiara glowed and all three Seekers floated into the air. "I am sorry. This is not the way. If Belvera is back and asking you to revive the Guardians, I suggest that you think twice before going along with whatever she has planned. We will certainly have no part in this. Now, Mogu will take you back to the surface. Don't worry; you won't be going by mouth this time."

The winged Mogu scooped up the unwanted guests in her front claws and flew them out so fast that they could not see from whence they had exited. Once they were back on the surface and Mogu had taken back to her airborne patrol, the Seekers looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Well?" said Cramer. "What now?"

Coogler folded his arms resolutely. "We keep looking."

"No," Nelliyattu said dejectedly. "We should head back to the rendezvous point."

Cramer shuddered. "Belvera is going to be furious that we failed her."

Coogler's voice grew coarse and indignant. "That's all the more reason not to give up!"

"Didn't you hear the queen?" barked Nelliyattu. "The same people who built the Guardians destroyed them because they couldn't be controlled!"

Coogler argued back, "She said they were deactivated, not destroyed!"

"The point stands: we can't trust those monsters!"

"You don't know that! For all we know, the Seatopians are lying to protect something!"

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

"With things being how they are in the world, you bet your ass I'm willing!"

Cramer stepped between the two. "Enough already! Coogler, we're leaving. If you want to hang around digging through all this red sand, go for it, but we're out of here."

"FINE! GO!"

Coogler watched bitterly as his comrades rose to the sky and floated away. Undeterred, he clasped his amulet and closed his eyes, feeling for the presence of the Guardian Monsters. Cramer and Nelliyattu were not even out of visible distance before he sensed them. Forming a protective aura around his body, Coogler hurled himself into the ocean. He plunged deeper and deeper, into dark waters filled with creatures that had never known the light of day.

At the place where the island joined the ocean floor, there was an immense grotto in which sat three gigantic figures, bound in chains with links two meters long and weighing a metric ton, and above the figures were more tangerine crystals, their beams of light focusing on the figures. Coogler deduced that their power was keeping the monsters subdued. He smirked and called to his comrades: _I've found the Guardians. Come on back if you're not too chicken!_

Coogler unleashed his full telekinetic power on one of the crystals, cracking it down the middle and extinguishing its light. The monster beneath stirred. He was built like a gorilla but with a tough hide like a rhino's, albeit patterned in magenta and turquoise. He had a prehensile tail and a long, almost crocodilian maw filled with jagged teeth. His body was augmented with as many blades as Gigan's: one protruding forward from his snout, another on the end of his tail, shorter spikes running the length of his back, and several unfolding blades on his forearms that formed bat-like wings.

As the monster burst free from hid bonds, Coogler chuckled maliciously. "Welcome back to the world, Jyarumu!"

The Guardian looked Coogler in the eyes and matched his sinister grin. Then Jyarumu smashed the crystals constraining the other monsters. They, too, stirred immediately with eagerness to fight.

Balkzardan resembled a black wolf with white interlocking armored plating covering most of her torso, head, lower limbs, and tail; yellow spikes protruded from between her armor in many places, and there were two large, rear-facing, wing-like projections fixed to her shoulders. Razin was a green, insectoid beast with a huge torso built around a translucent red orb filled with smaller blue orbs circling in a cloud of white gas; her three-eyed head was held aloft by a segmented neck that could rotate 360 degrees, and her eight legs each ended in a crab-like claw.

No sooner had they freed themselves than Zaninga, Seatopia's aquatic dragon, rushed the grotto, emitting the tangerine glow from her tusks. The energy restrained Razin and Jyarumu with ease, but Balkzardan's lightning reflexes allowed her to bolt right by Zaninga, snapping off one of the dragon's tusks as she did so. Zaninga reeled back in pain, losing her control over the remaining Guardians. Before she could even begin to recover, they were on her.

Coogler watched with excitement as Razin and Jyarumu pummeled their jailer into submission, but his rapture turned to disgust as they tore her to pieces. The light from her remaining tusk was soon obscured by her own blood. A shiver crept up Coogler's spine; he had thought he was better prepared to deal with such gruesomeness.

* * *

Baragon roared vehemently as Jyarumu and Razin escaped into the distance; Balkzardan, of course, was long out of sight. Mogu spread her wings in anticipation of a chase, but Queen Salno presently arrived on the surface and shouted to her, "No, Mogu! Wait!"

Malmez and Suton joined her. "My queen," said Suton, "what do we do now?"

"I don't know. I had prayed this day would never come."

Malmez knelt and scooped up a handful of the red sand. "Those three Guardians alone are powerful enough to destroy the world. The rest of humanity will be helpless against their combined forces, especially if Belvera means to make war." Malmez watched the grains of sand run between his fingers. "Sooner or later, they will turn their wrath upon us. We knew this could not last forever."

Salno faced him. "What are you suggesting, then?

As the last of the sand returned to the ground, Malmez stood up. "Perhaps we should consider an alliance with Belvera."

Suton was sickened by the idea. "Malmez! Is it not enough to hide ourselves from the world? Must we be actively responsible for their suffering?"

"Think of it as punishment for their many sins against the Earth."

"Have the children you leave to die sinned against it?"

"No, but they will, as will their children who follow them."

Salno held up a hand. Both of her advisers fell silent. "Thank you both for your wisdom. I have made my decision."


	7. The Monsters Converge

On Iwato Island, Omori was waiting impatiently to hear from Honda again when he was contacted by Prime Minister Mitamura.

"Omori speaking," he said over the phone in his private office adjacent to the main chamber of the base."

" _General,"_ said the Prime Minister, _"have you heard from Doctor Honda or Commander Takashima?"_

"I have. They claim they were actually on Kiryoku-shima to see the festival but left prior to the incident."

" _Is that so? Did they say why they were still radio silent for nearly half an hour after the incident occurred?"_

"They did not."

" _Interesting. General, I hope you know that I would not idly speak against your subordinates, or any compatriat, for that matter."_

"I know, Mister Prime Minister, and I realize how this must look."

" _I appreciate your understanding, General. I must ask you not breathe a word of this to anyone, but we may need to bring Honda and the commander in for questioning."_

"Yes, Prime Minister. What shall I do for now?"

" _Make sure she gets back on base as soon as possible and keep her there."_

"What if that flying monster shows up again? I don't know if Rodan and the others can handle it."

" _We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, don't let her out of your sights."_

* * *

At that same moment, Voltrang and Gigan were approaching Iwato Island from the north. About 100 kilometers out, Gigan dove into the water and continued the journey mostly submerged with only his tail and dorsal sails showing. Voltrang flew low to the water, hoping to remain out of sight once they were near the island.

* * *

As it turned out, Omori did not need to call Honda again; she called him from the _Shirasagi_.

" _General, I'm afraid I haven't been fully honest with you. Takashima and I did see what happened on Kiryoku-shima."_

"Oh? What happened?"

" _It was a monster attack, alright. General, the Seekers of Seatopia are back. They've found several biomechanical monsters and are activating them in preparation for attacks all over the world."_

"If that's so, how did you learn this information and why didn't you tell me sooner?"

" _There wasn't time to explain and I didn't think you'd believe me, but we had to act fast. I'm sorry. I do have proof, though. Listen, we need to marshall the rest of G-Force and prepare for a coordinated defense."_

Omori silently contemplated for a moment. "I believe you," he finally responded, not entirely sure that he actually did. "First, I need you to return to base so we can discuss what to do."

" _Roger that. Takashima and I will be back as soon as possible."_

Once the call ended, Omori was unsure of what to do next. If Honda was telling the truth, the information she had given him was vital to share with the UNMCC but would also require a lot of difficult explanation. If she was lying, and part of him hoped she was, keeping her confined to the base per the Prime Minister's orders was probably for the best. After careful consideration, he decided to call the Prime Minister back.

" _General, I'm surprised to hear back from you so soon. Is it important?"_

"Yes, sir. I have heard from Doctor Honda. She is on her way back to base at this moment. She now admits that she saw the incident on Kiryoku-shima, and she apparently has some news on not only what happened there but on the creature that attacked Los Angeles."

" _Really? That doesn't make her case sound any less suspicious, to be honest."_

Before Omori could respond, the door was flung open by a frightened subordinate. "General! Godzilla is approaching!"

"What? Already?"

"Sir, he's charging!"

"Charging!?"

The junior officer opened the door to the general's office all the way. Omori could see the large wall-mounted main monitor in the central chamber, showing Gigan approaching from far off, but with only his sails and tail visible above the water, he did appear from a distance to be Godzilla charging with his head down. Omori did not know what to make of the situation. Were Honda and her party returning in haste, or was this a sign of attack?

" _General!"_ shouted the Prime Minister over the phone. _"Omori? What's happening?"_

Omori cleared his throat and anxiously answered, "Godzilla is here, approaching rapidly. I'm not sure what-OH, GOD!"

Gigan reared his head up from the water and fired his optical beam at the one structure of the base that was entirely above ground: the communication dish. With the array destroyed, Omori's call to the Prime Minister ended abruptly. The security cameras were still intact, and the personnel of the base could see that the attacking monster was not actually Godzilla, but it did not matter; they were cut off from the rest of the world and could neither correct the mistake nor call for help.

Content with his first shot, Gigan sprang from the waves and rocketed toward Iwato. There was a huge water-filled pool in which Godzilla rested while on base; the walls were lined with radioactive minerals, except one which had been blown out and replaced with a metal gate from which Godzilla could emerge. Gigan hovered over the island and fired his beam into the pool, bringing the water to an instant boil and partially melting the metal gate. The extreme heat and rapid expansion of steam caused a spectacular explosion that blew the crater apart and caused cave-ins throughout the subterranean base. A deadly cloud of radioactive vapor formed over the island and filled the base, killing all of those who had survived the initial cave-in.

With the base destroyed, Gigan turned to leave. Voltrang waited a moment to observe. His heart was still filled with hate for military and government agencies, but he felt a small twinge of guilt as he watched Iwato Island fold in on itself. He knew Omori personally, and while he bore some resentment toward him over his part in reviving the Gargantua experiment, Voltrang nevertheless felt some comradery toward him and valued his work on Project G. On that note, he took a deep breath and set out for the final leg of his mission.

* * *

 _Shirasagi_ was about halfway from Birth Island to Iwato, with Honda, Mavia, and Takashima onboard, and Godzilla and Kingu Shisa following close behind, when they spotted Gigan barreling down on them. Godzilla fired his ray, but the cyborg easily evaded the attack. Extending his bladed arms, Gigan launched from under each a long chain with barbed hooks at the end; both wrapped themselves around Kingu Shisa's shoulders, and as Gigan sped by him, he was dragged kicking and screaming through the water.

"Kingu Shisa!" shouted Honda. "Takashima, follow them!"

"Yes, Commander. Please do."

Honda looked behind her and saw Voltrang standing there. His silver toga and turban were still glowing faintly; he had used his power to somehow phase into the airship. However, all that Honda cared about was his face. Mavia and Keiko had already confirmed his identity, but actually seeing it for herself broke her heart all over again.

Yuma tried and failed to maintain an intimidating scowl. "Hi, Kumi…" he mumbled sorrowfully.

Honda rushed him with fists clenched. Mavia shouted, "No, Doctor! Stop!" Honda ignored her and struck Yuma in the face, knocking him to the floor; at the same time, she broke into angry sobs.

Yuma stood back up, nursing a black eye. Still mumbling , he said, "I'm sorry for all of this."

"Then stop it!" Honda shouted.

"It's too late. It's out of my hands now. Please, follow the Guardians. We have something to show you."

Honda angirly plopped back down in the co-pilot seat while Yuma took a seat in the rear across from Mavia, who avoided eye contact. None of them had noticed that while they were talking Takashima covertly tapped a red button under the steering column three times, sending out a distress signal on a secret frequency. Hopefully, General Omori as well as Lieutenant Dunham on Kirk Island would hear it, hone in on their signal, and bring backup. Neither Takashima nor Honda knew that Iwato was gone, nor that the UN believed based on Omori's last transmission that Godzilla was to blame and was tracking their signal for different reasons.

* * *

The Seekers converged on an unnamed barren and hilly island in the Adonas, about eighty kilometers south by southwest from Birth Island. Upon arrival, Gigan slung the chained Kingu Shisa down onto the hard rock, detaching the chains from himself while leaving them wrapped around his captive. Kingu Shisa landed flat on his face; he managed to sit up on his knees, but he could not stand or use his arms. Helpless, he bowed his head with a mournful growl.

Megalon and Jyarumu had already arrived, along with their respective handlers and Belvera. The dark fairy rested on a rock, meditating, while Garu Garu flew all around, bored of waiting for the impending battle. The tiny dragon snickered mischievously at seeing the chained Kingu Shisa and zoomed toward him, taunting him with energy blasts to the top of his head. Kingu Shisa merely absorbed the energy and, glaring at the pest, fired it back at him from the gem on his head. Garu Garu plummeted to the ground, broken and burned.

Without opening her eyes, Belvera snapped her fingers and sent out a bolt of Batorite that struck her steed's half-obliterated remains and restored him to life. Garu Garu shook himself off and took to the air again, hovering at eye level with Kingu Shisa and hissing spitefully. The ancient Guardian roared, sending the dragon rolling head over tail through the air while Gigan, Megalon, and Jyarumu chuckled.

Coogler cringed. Velázquez hardly noticed, impatiently tapping her foot while looking out to sea. "Where the hell is everyone else? What's taking them so long?"

"I, uh…I think the others had trouble with the monsters."

"What do you mean, 'trouble'?"

* * *

While Jyarumu was fairly amenable to Coogler's influence, what with the Seeker having revived him personally, Balkzardan and Razin felt no such respect for their wranglers.

Balkzardan could sprint tirelessly at three kilometers per second, stabilized by her powerful tail and the wing-like projections on her shoulders. Like a demonic husky freed from her kennel, she scampered around in search of excitement. Nelliyattu could barely keep track of her location, let alone match her speed, and Balkzardan was indifferent to her attempts to control her. The monster darted this way and that, all over the South Pacific, her every movement generating sonic booms. When she spotted land - Metro Manila, to be exact - she bolted straight toward it. Within the span of twenty seconds, she charged clear across the land mass at its narrowest point, screeched to a halt on the far side, and darted back across slightly north of her previous path. The result was two wide swaths of total destruction from the shockwaves she created. Before the people of Manila had any idea what had happened, thousands were dead and Balkzardan was long gone, leaving Nelliyattu to stare in shock.

Razin, meanwhile, was reluctantly following Cramer toward the rendezvous point, hovering through the air, until she spotted something in the ocean below her. It was another monster, one of the last remaining outcasts of the Adonas. This creature was protocetid, a four-legged ancestor of modern whales, but was considerably larger than any other specimen; it was even longer from head to tail than Godzilla. Despite Cramer's protestations, Razin lunged toward the mammal and began slashing at it with her claws. The protocetid was helpless against its attacker, who took her time tormenting it for pleasure rather than killing it straightaway.

* * *

Belvera sensed the cause of her followers' delay. She paid little mind to their excuses; she just opened her eyes and mumbled with a sneer, "I really need to get better minions after this."

While Coogler and Velázquez waited impatiently, the three Guardians present became bored and agitated. They had been promised some action and were itching for a fight. After a while, Jyarumu stood up and tackled Megalon to the ground. Gigan excitedly clapped his arm blades against each other and leaped into the fray.

Velázquez looked on in frightened bewilderment. "What are they doing? Have they turned on each other?"

"No," said Belvera. "They're just sparring."

"What do we do?" asked Coogler.

Belvera shrugged and closed her eyes again to resume meditating. "Let them fight."

Megalon used all six limbs to thrust Jyarumu off of him, only to be thrown off his feet again by Gigan's huge tail. Jyarumu leaped high into the air and rammed Gigan from above. Megalon lifted and body slammed Jyarumu. Gigan kicked Jyarumu while he was down only to receive a vicious kick to the chin from Megalon. The three continued their bout, kicking up dust, then rocks, and then boulders.

Coogler and Velázquez ran for the cover of a small hill. Belvera ignored the brawling; her psychic field deflected all of the flying debris, allowing her to meditate in peace. Garu Garu yipped and yapped, circling the dueling monsters (albeit from high above) and pestering them with ineffectual blasts.

The fight carried on and on. Despite how the monsters ravaged the landscape around him, they themselves were hardly scratched. But as the old saying goes, "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye."

Jyarumu did not quite lose his left one when Megalon accidentally jabbed him there instead of on the snout. The big-armed beast hopped backward with a shriek and covered his eye. Megalon and Gigan stepped back to observe, waiting to see if their fellow Guardian was alright. Jyarumu uncovered his face, showing a little cyan blood but no permanent damage. Nevertheless, the brute was incensed and spat green fire at the other monsters. Megalon spun around to shield himself with his armored outer wings. Gigan jumped straight up, and two small compartments just below his neck opened up to discharge spinning razor discs. These lodged themselves in Jyarumu's eyes; he could regenerate and recover from such a wound, but not from the next attack, in which Gigan thrust his right arm blade into his throat and wrenched it back out. Jyarumu's head was not properly severed but rather twisted by the force of the attack so that he bore a lopsided grin like a rotting jack o'lantern.

Belvera finally took notice. "You dumb lunks!" she bellowed at a volume disproportionate to her miniscule body. "How are we supposed to take over the world with you killing each other before our enemies even get a shot?"

Gigan maintained eye contact with Belvera as the saw on his belly sprang to life. He pulled Jyarumu's carcass near and rent it to pieces, all the while hissing defiantly. Belvera raised her staff and struck Gigan in the chest with a bolt of purple lightning, causing him to recoil in pain. Coogler and Velázquez's apprehension grew. The Guardian Monsters had tasted blood, and their thirst would not easily be sated, nor their fury restrained.

Upon the southern horizon appeared their adversary-to-be. Godzilla swam ahead of _Shirasagi_ , staying between his friends and the Guardians. Belvera regained her composure and eyed them eagerly. "Hold!" she shouted as Gigan and Megalon made ready to launch themselves at Godzilla. "Not yet! A word first. I shall give this Doctor Honda another chance to join our cause. If she resists me this day, it will be her last. Then, my marginally useful brutes, you may have your sport with her pet."


	8. An Impossible Challenge

The sweltering noon sun beat down upon the barren island. Takashima reluctantly landed _Shirasagi_ and its crew disembarked. As Godzilla waded ashore, Gigan crouched in preparation to rush him, but Belvera sent another bolt his way to discourage him. Yuma wagged a finger at the Guardian. "Not yet!"

Gigan hissed and turned his back, wiping the last bits of Jyarumu's blood and tissue from his claws.

Belvera mounted Garu Garu, who flew her in front of the newcomers and hovered at their eye level. "Greetings, Doctor Honda. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

Honda cried out as Belvera forced her way into her mind. The sensation was even more painful than her encounter with M11. The dark fairy dove so deep without holding back that Honda felt as though her brain was being pulled from her skull.

"Fascinating," said Belvera. "Your friend told me so much about you, but that wasn't even the half of it. You are just like he used to be."

She released her grip, causing Honda to collapse in exhaustion. Godzilla roared angrily at seeing his friend hurt. Gigan and Megalon brandished their weapons at him in response, but he paid them little mind; he was more concerned about what Belvera would do to Honda if he tried to intervene.

The dark fairy continued. "So, let me see if I got the whole story. You started Project G to protect civilians from the ravages of these 'monsters,' even though you as a paleontologist recognized their inherent scientific and natural value. Then you learned that your superiors were tampering with forces they did not understand, but chose not to make a fuss about it until they came after you personally. Even then, the regime change hardly made a difference, but still you directed your anger at those who dared challenge the status quo. The Seekers of Seatopia - not these followers of mine who sought the truth, but those who plundered the ancient world for their own gain - they were undeniably the vermin and swine you made them out to be, yet no less a symptom of the corrupt systems in power that you only now begin to see for what they really are. You, Doctor, are on the brink of a revelation that you should have seen years ago, before it was too late."

Honda sat up on her knees, breathing heavily. "It's not…too late…yet."

"You're right, but not in the way you think. The people of this world can still be made to see the truth, but only by force."

Mavia interjected. "Please! Belvera, you are correct that the powers that be cannot be trusted, but turning your wrath on humanity is not the way. The powerful will hold out as long as they can, while the weak and innocent bear the brunt of your wrath!"

Belvera sneered, pointing her staff at Mavia. "Many are weak. None are innocent…including you."

"No! Please! This isn't the way!"

"I have no time for the groveling of traitors." She twirled her staff, and Mavia disintegrated in a shower of sparks.

After a moment of being frozen in horror, Honda lunged, seizing Garu Garu's right wing in her hand. The little dragon squealed in fright and Belvera fell from her mount onto the ground. Honda put her other hand over Garu Garu's mouth, preventing him from using his attack, then crushed the life out of him with all of her strength before hurling his crumpled corpse into the sea.

Belvera sent out another bolt which struck Honda in the chest, paralyzing instead of disintegrating her. The dark fairy waved her staff and Honda floated prone into the air. "You bitch! That little dragon was all the company I had on that miserable little planetoid for centuries. Sure, I can always make another one, but it just won't be the same."

Godzilla growled, an angry growl that came rumbling up from deep in his chest. Bevlera glared back at him before addressing Honda again.

"I might just return the favor. Hmm, yes, then maybe you'll see things my way."

Yuma looked pleadingly into Honda's eyes and spoke to her telepathically. _Please, Kumi. Give in now. Join us._

Honda shot back with a remark that humbled Yuma.

"Very well," said Belvera, releasing Honda to fall to the ground again. "Voltrang, Tawal - let your beasties have their fun!"

Without needing another word, Megalon and Gigan rushed Godzilla. The atomic dragon breathed a jet of blue fire, but it passed between the advancing Guardians, and a moment later, they collided with him at full force, collapsing into a spinning mess of claws and blades.

After spending the intervening conversation inching backward in preparation to make a run for it, Takashima dashed toward _Shirasagi_. Yuma used a telekinetic push to propel him through the air with such force that the pilot slammed into the side of the ship and was knocked out cold. Honda used her own powers to lift a rock the size of her head and chuck it at her old colleague; he was struck between the shoulder blades, expelling the air from his lungs. Velazquez and Coogler attacked Honda, and soon all three were tossing rocks, bursts of air, and each other around wildly, all while Belvera watched, chuckling sadistically.

As it turned out, Megalon was not a particularly skilled combatant beyond his sheer power, for which Godzilla was an even match. The dumb brute was floored with a single well-placed blow to the head, but Gigan proved to be a much greater challenge. The red-eyed Guardian was faster and more agile than any nemesis Godzilla had previously faced, and his diverse arsenal allowed for sophisticated multi-step attacks that were seemingly impossible to counter. Every time Godzilla dodged an optical blast, a slash from the twin blades, or the whirring saw on Gigan's chest, another hidden compartment in the cyborg's body opened to reveal another weapon: razor discs, barbed hooks, electrified darts, gas bombs, everything but a corkscrew.

However, Gigan's quarry had a trick of his own in store. Godzilla's initial breath attack did not technically miss Gigan and Megalon because they were not his target. Kingu Shisa had absorbed the atomic energy and was now conducting it down through his arms, melting away the chains lashed around him. Godzilla kept Gigan distracted until his ally was free. Then, Kingu Shisa unleashed the remainder of his stored energy in a concussive blast that sent Gigan rolling away.

Honda, meanwhile, was just about to defeat both of her adversaries. Coogler and Velázquez were less experienced in their use of telekinesis and threw their whole bodies into each attack, just as if they actually were tossing rocks and shoving Honda with their own hands. These movements in a way helped the brain compensate for the lack of physical feedback in planning and executing their maneuvers, but Honda had learned from experience that she could get the same result from smaller, less taxing motions. The Seekers moved like wrestlers while she was doing little more than flexing.

Honda focused at first on defense, mostly deflecting her enemies' projectiles and steadying herself against their telekinetic pushes. Coogler and Velázquez were wearing themselves out, both mentally and physically. As their movements grew more effortful and their attacks slower, Honda employed a weapon that neither of them were ready to combat: the psychic probe! Both Seekers were hit by a sudden and intense pain from within their minds, a combination of vague yet consuming fear and an inescapable pounding sensation, causing them to collapse in a prone state.

Yuma had recovered by now but was still reluctant to fight Honda; he wanted her to join the cause, but feared that an attack by him would undo any chance of that. Instead, Belvera used another paralyzing bolt on her. "You've had your fun, Doctor, but I think it's time to put an end to this little game."

A white bolt appeared from out of the blue, knocking both Godzilla and Kingu Shisa to the ground faster than the blink of an eye. Godzilla scrambled to his feet but was again floored, this time by a crackling white energy beam. Balkzardan and Razin had finally arrived, drawn by the promise of a real fight.

Cramer and Nelliyattu touched down, exhausted from their long journey. Cramer dropped panting to his knees while Nelliyattu confronted Belvera. "Please, we need to stop this!"

The dark fairy looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Now you, too? It seems I chose my followers poorly."

"Listen to her!" shouted Cramer. "The monsters - they're not going to stop! They'll kill us all!"

Belvera rolled her eyes. "I'll deal with you two momentarily."

Razin's many claws allowed her to execute multiple attacks with even greater speed than Gigan, taking chunks out of Godzilla faster than they could heal. Balkzardan moved so quickly that she could throw Kingu Shisa to the ground and be out of sight before he could retaliate.

Once Gigan and Megalon recovered, Belvera's monsters outnumbered the enemy four to two. Godzilla could not even use his atomic breath owing to the amount of energy his body was consuming just to keep repairing itself as Razin and Gigan cut him to shreds. Megalon kept some distance between himself and Kingu Shisa, mostly to avoid being struck by Balkzardan's charges. Having figured out that his horn beam would only make the shisa stronger, Megalon unveiled a new weapon: spitbombs. A combination of specialized organic and mechanical structures within his body absorbed carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen from the atmosphere and combined them to form nitroglycerin, which he then spat out in semi-solid balls that detonated on impact. Kingu Shisa was knocked about every which way, and soon even Godzilla was slowing, quickly losing pace to his attackers.

Honda and the Seekers grew increasingly nervous as the battle area grew larger and more chaotic. "Belvera!" shouted Yuma over the cacophony. "Shouldn't we get out of here?"

"No! I want to see every second of this!"

"But-"

"Don't tell me _you're_ chickening out, too, Voltrang!"

Megalon took one step in the wrong direction while preparing to discharge another bomb and was struck from behind by Balkzardan mid-rush. The gelatinous explosive flew off course, hurtling toward the spectators below. Belvera quickly summoned a forcefield dome that successfully shielded them all from the blast.

"See?" she said to the others with a slight stammer. "N-n-nothing to worry about!"

Enraged, Megalon turned his horn beam on Balkzardan. He missed, but succeeded in getting her attention. She plowed him over effortlessly and held him down, clawing at his face; Megalon struggled to throw her off and get back on his feet. While both were distracted, Kingu Shisa lunged, leg at them. Balkzardan noticed at the last second and zipped away; Megalon was not so lucky, bearing the full force of the shisa's pounce. Just as quickly, Balkzardan circled back around and sent Kingu Shisa flying with another full-body strike.

Godzilla, meanwhile, managed to catch one of Razin's claws and pulled the entire limb out of its socket. The biomechanical arachnid shrieked and her remaining seven limbs lashed out in spasms of pain; some of them caught Gigan by the legs and waist, knocking him off balance long enough that Godzilla could land a hard punch to his sternum, just above the saw blades. The force of the blow jammed the mechanism for the saw as well as causing other mechanical failures; Gigan could no longer use most of his onboard weapons, save for his optical beam and hand blades, but these were more than enough to put up a vicious fight. He and Razin quickly resumed their vicious multi-clawed attacks.

The battle continued on in this manner; Godzilla or Kingu Shisa would gain a momentary advantage only to be quickly overwhelmed again by their enemies. No matter how cunning and powerful they were, it seemed that numbers would inevitably decide the battle.

Fortunately, the numbers were about to change.

A shadow fell over the island and all eyes turned upward as something came plummeting out of the sky. Mogu had carried Baragon through the air all the way from Seatopia, and now she dropped him right onto Megalon before herself dive-bombing Razin.

Belvera screamed in rage. "NO! WHAT? NOOOOOOO!"

Honda could sense that the newcomers were other creatures like Godzilla, fully grown from magically-conjured organic material. He sensed it, too, and an alliance was formed telepathically. Both sides were now evenly matched, four to four.

Razin seized Mogu by the tail and tossed her aside, but she caught herself in the air and resumed flight, strafing the enemy monsters from above with her crystal ray while Razin failed to knock her down with her own energy attacks. Megalon was about to retaliate with a spitball when Baragon chomped down on his tail from behind. The monster beetle gagged on the bomb, which exploded in his throat. He collapsed onto his back, writhing and screeching as black smoke billowed from his mouth.

Godzilla was once again fighting Gigan one-on-one, but now the former had the upper hand. The cycloptic cyborg's scythes still cut fast and deep, and the optical beam was just as formidable, but now he was on the defensive. Godzilla pushed him backward with each attack and deflected most of Gigan's thrusts. At long last, he caught Gigan's left arm blade in both hands and twisted it with all of his might; the blade was bent crooked and rendered useless, while the bone of Gigan's forearm was shattered. Gigan wailed and unleashed the full power of his optical beam, scorching Godzilla's face and driving him back, but it was clear that the tide had turned definitively.

Balkzardan opted to close in and perform short-range dashes at Kingu Shisa rather than pulling back to charge from a distance. This resulted in less force behind each attack, but each attack was harder to dodge. She wore him down until it was taking all of his strength just to keep from collapsing in an exhausted heap.

Just as Megalon regained his footing, Baragon singed his behind with a blast of his crystal ray before burrowing into the ground. Megalon dove in after him in pursuit; the Guardian was a much faster tunneler owing to his drills, but Baragon was smarter and had a plan. The earth dragon led him right under Razin before bursting out and leaping right over the green monster while she was distracted with trying to shoot down Mogu. Megalon erupted from the ground and plunged drills-first right into Razin's orb. The red outer crystal shattered into pieces and the white gas within ignited on contact with the air, blowing Razin to pieces, destroying Megalon's drills and burning his outer wings off.

Cramer and Velázquez glanced nervously at one another. Belvera glared at them both. "You dolts! What are you even doing? You let your Guardians bumble right into each other! Voltrang, Bhatlam - step it up!"

Yuma and Nelliyattu each spoke to their respective Guardians - the latter with great reluctance and fear - with orders to finish off their opponents. Gigan began swinging his good blade at Godzilla as hard as he could, losing a lot of accuracy but taking out chunks of flesh with each successful blow. Balkzardan left Kingu Shisa winded with a hard hit to the chest before pulling back by many kilometers to build up speed for the killing blow. She charged, going exponentially faster with each passing meter, until she was at the edge of light speed.

Somehow, despite the seemingly impossible odds, Kingu Shisa landed a punch to her face.

At that very moment, Balkzardan had reached light speed and her body became pure energy. As such, rather than either of them being smashed to pieces, Kingu Shisa absorbed her, acquiring more power than had ever been held within his body at once. Nelliyattu looked on in disbelief as Balkzardan's physical form ceased to exist and became merely the power source for the shisa's next deadly attack: not a beam but a massive burst of crackling energy which he directed at the dazed Megalon, blasting him into many pieces.

Gigan was now the last monster standing for his side. He thrusted his good blade right into Godzilla's belly, drawing much blood and a roar of pain. However, Kingu Shisa used a second blast to sever Gigan's right arm at the elbow. The cyborg stomped both legs from agony and rage, both blades now out of use. Godzilla pulled out the scythe, threw it aside, and punched Gigan right in the face. The visor over his composite eye shattered into red dust. He could still see, but not clearly, and his optical beam was totally disabled, thus depriving him of any offensive or defensive capabilities. Yuma continued trying to communicate, but Gigan ignored him entirely and took off, flying for his life into the upper atmosphere.

"GET BACK HERE!" shouted Belvera. "YOU COME BACK RIGHT NOW AND FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!"

Gigan showed no desire to return and be torn apart by four other monsters. He kept going until he was far out of sight. The battle was over.

Godzilla looked to Mogu and Baragon with a bow of gratitude. However, his attention quickly turned to Kingu Shisa, whose entire body glowed and hummed with the energy he had absorbed from Balkzardan. It was more than his form could contain, and his body was breaking down. There was nothing that could be done to save him. Godzilla approached and bowed on both knees. Kingu Shisa knelt and returned the gesture; just as the gem in his head touched the ground, his body was engulfed in light, and a moment later, he had vanished forever. There was no explosion, no boom, no violent displacement of energy - just a soft glow remaining that dissipated rapidly. The Guardians were all gone.

Belvera let the forcefield fade away and dropped to her knees to sulk. With her concentration lost, the spell over Honda broke. The doctor stood up and walked over to the fairy. "Belvera," she said softly, "will you speak with me? Please. I only wish to speak."

"Of what?" Belvera grumbled. "What could you possibly have to say that I would want to hear?"

A third voice answered, "A real solution, perhaps?"

Queen Salno appeared from out of thin air directly in front of them. Nelliyattu, Cramer, and Coogler bowed before her. "O Queen," said Nelliyattu, "we are sorry that we did not heed your warning. The Guardians were killers, but their rampage has been brought to an end."

"You are not to blame, young one." Salno pointed to Belvera. "She is."

Belvera stood up and placed one hand on her hip. "And who are you? Another fool in a costume playing at being a priestess?"

"I am Maz Dulina Salno, Queen of Seatopia."

"Oh, really?" scoffed Belvera. She hurled a purple bolt at the Queen, but it passed harmlessly through her. The dark fairy gasped incredulously. "Oh! Really!"

"Astral projection," explained Salno, "is just one of our many powers. We have been in hiding for millennia, building a civilization better than Nirai-Kanai before us. There is peace in our kingdom, and we hope to bring that peace to the rest of the world."

Honda bowed to the Queen. "Your Highness, may I introduce myself? I am-"

"Kumi Honda. Yes, I know. We have watched your exploits with great interest. You need not bow to me."

Honda was astonished to hear her speak in this way. "Your Highness, I… I am truly humbled."

"And your humility will serve us well. It is my wish that you, along with these others who sought our kingdom, will serve as a bridge between us and the rest of the world. Will you join us?"

Honda looked around her. Nelliyattu, Cramer, and Coogler all knelt and answered in the affirmative, but Yuma and Velázquez seemed hesitant. "Adam?" said Honda. "What do you think?"

He did not answer. He could not even look her in the eye.

She came closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Adam, please look at me."

Yuma slowly raised his face to level with hers, tears trickling down his cheeks.

Salno approached him. "Adam Yuma, I know you have every reason to doubt the rest of the world. We will help you find your place in the new world, and we will not ask you to take on this responsibility if your heart still aches."

Yuma mumbled through his sobs, "It's not about that. I…I did something."

Honda wrapped her arms around him. "Please, Adam - let go of the past! We can leave all of that behind now."

Yuma stepped backward, pulling himself out of her embrace. "No!" he groaned. "Not that! I did something…today. She made me!"

Belvera sighed, appearing genuinely sad.

Honda stared at her friend in alarm. "What did you do? Adam, tell me! What did you do?"

Belvera sat back down and crossed her legs. "I wish I could trust you humans. I gave your race the benefit of the doubt before, and you nearly destroyed the beautiful little world we trusted you with. I cannot risk that again. I might trust any given one of you here, but even if I thought I could trust nine tenths of humankind to listen, the remaining tenth would lead them astray sooner or later. They mustn't have that opportunity."

Honda swallowed fearfully. "What, then?"

"I had Voltrang…oh, why prolong this misguided farce? I sent your friend and Gigan to destroy your base of operations and trick your leaders into thinking it was the work of Godzilla."

"You WHAT?!"

"It had to be done. I will not let you lead humanity into a false peace that leaves us in the same predicament in another thousand years, nor will you stop me from doing what must be done."

From a distance, the rumble of huge engines could be heard. All eyes turned to the horizon. Something big was coming.

Belvera shook her head. "I would be glad to have it any other way, but it just won't work. So, last chance: join me in tearing it all down, or get ready to run for your life. Either way, you don't get to keep your precious status quo."

Honda spat back at her, "I want nothing to do with your mad scheme!"

The dark fairy shrugged and floated into the air. "Suit yourself. I'm out of here…for now. Who's with me?"

Yuma looked back and forth between Honda and Belvera. He wanted to change the world peacefully, but he knew that doing so would likely leave a lot of the same people in charge who were responsible for the conditions that turned him away from humanity in the first place. Velázquez felt much the same way; her village existed on the fringes of civilization, and a compromise would only change their lives for the better after about a century, if they were lucky. Cramer simply wanted to survive and was convinced that Belvera would win eventually.

On the other hand, Nelliyattu and Coogler both recognized their own mistakes and the fact that Belvera, despite her insistence otherwise, was threatening merely another form of inequality and oppression. They stood to either side of Honda, the three of them holding hands. "Sorry," said Nelliyattu. "This has to stop here. Kill us if you must, but we won't be a part of it."

Belvera sneered. "Maybe another time." She snapped her fingers, and the amulets around Coogler and Nelliyattu's necks crumbled into dust. "And are the rest of you ready to go?"

The other three Seekers nodded, including Yuma. Honda tried to plead with him one last time. "Adam, please! There must be another way!"

Yuma responded telepathically, _If you figure it our, drop me a line. Until then, goodbye…my love._

Honda watched in stunned silence as Yuma, Belvera, Cramer, and Velázquez teleported away. She had developed an attraction to him over the years they had known each other, but learning about his involvement in human experiments during that time had permanently changed how she saw him; she cared about him and was willing to forgive him, but that knowledge changed her feelings toward him such that she never saw him as more than a dear friend afterward. However, nothing had apparently occurred to change his feelings toward her; if anything, his loneliness and becoming unmoored from his place in the world probably left her the only person to whom he had an overall positive relationship. It was a strange emotional place for her to be in, but she did not have long to dwell on it at the moment.

The something big approaching was actually several big somethings. As they got closer, Honda recognized four distinct shapes, two airborne and two partially submerged. The mech Lizard Slayer 1 had evidently been repaired and modified with a jetpack; it now flew alongside Rodan, while beneath them, Titanosaurus sped through the waves with Kong on his back barely slowing him down.

"Big G," said Honda, "please tell me they're coming here with good news."

 _I don't know. I can't read them._

Honda recalled that Prokofiev's mind control devices suppressed consciousness and made creatures telepathically imperceptible. If the arriving members of G-Force were under control, it could only mean that they had been sent to fight Godzilla…and also that whoever made that call had resorted to using the tools of the enemy.

"I am sorry, Doctor Honda," said Salno, "but we must hide for the time being." Her projected image flickered and then vanished.

Mogu swooped down and picked up Baragon by the shoulders in preparation to retreat. Coogler and Nelliyattu ran to the dragons to ride away with them; the latter beckoned to Honda as she climbed on. "Come with us! Quick! We must leave!"

Honda shook her head. "I have to try. You go." After a pause, she remembered Keiko and the eggs. "Wait! I need you to do something for me, please!"

* * *

LS1 and the monsters landed on the far side of the island. A familiar voice boomed from the mech's loudspeakers: _"This is Captain Ivanov. You are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender yourself."_

Honda shouted back, "Abe! You're alive!"

 _"And you, Doctor Honda, are under arrest."_

"It's not what you think!" she shouted, gesturing toward the scattered remains of Razin, Jyarumu, and Megalon strewn across the battlefield. "I can explain everything."

 _"You can explain it to the Security Council. Now step away from the monster."_

Honda looked up at Godzilla and back to the mech. "What are you going to do to him?"

 _"We have orders to terminate Godzilla immediately, but you are to be taken alive."_

A tractor beam emanated from just below LS1's cockpit, whisking Honda off her feet. She cried out to Godzilla, who seized her in his right hand quickly but carefully just as the other monsters lunged at him. Rodan pecked at his eyes and clawed at the back of his head. Titanosaurus held fiercely onto his left arm with his claws and teeth. Kong pulled and twisted Godzilla's right arm in an attempt to break or dislocate it to dislodge his grip on Honda. All the while, LS1 kept its tractor beam focused on Godzilla's right hand and fired rockets at his chest.

Godzilla did not fight back. He was afraid to hurt Honda. He was afraid to hurt his friends. He did not want to heart anyone, but there was nothing he could do that would not hurt someone short of continuing to maintain his grip without fighting back, and he could only do that for so long.

Kong twisted Godzilla's arm. He winced and hissed between his teeth, but he did not yield. His eyes bled from Rodan's scratching, his left arm bled from Titanosaurus' biting, and his chest bled from the steady stream of missiles. Godzilla realized that his dorsal plates were getting hot; without even intending it, he had begun to power up his atomic energy attack. He had to concentrate to suppress the reaction, all while continuing to hold off his attackers. In the process, he accidentally tightened his grip on Honda - not enough to break anything, but enough to force the air from her lungs and prevent her from inhaling.

 _Godzilla-san!_ she pleaded. _You're choking me!_

Right about then, Takashima awoke from his unconscious state, saw what was happening, and staggered inside _Shirasagi_.

Honda continued to plead. _Godzilla-san, please! Let me go! I'll be okay! Let me go and save yourself!_

 _No, friend! I won't let them take you from me!_ Godzilla loosened his grip enough that Honda could breathe, but with his concentration divided again, the glow returned to his spikes.

Kong twisted his arm again, and this time, there was an audible SNAP. Godzilla reared back his head with a bellow of pain, and a jet of blue fire shot involuntarily from his mouth. Rodan was badly burned and tumbled out of the sky.

Honda was pulled from Godzilla's grip and once again glided toward LS1. She tried to telekinetically resist the tractor beam, but her pendant of Nirai-Kanai was pulled right off her neck; without it, she could not focus her powers.

Godzilla managed to swing his right arm hard enough to lift Kong off the ground and slammed him into Titanosaurus. The two monsters crumpled into a heap.

The beam suddenly lost control of Honda, and she plummeted toward the ground. Godzilla snatched her up just in time. Honda looked up and saw _Shirasagi_ in the grasp of the tractor beam, thrusters firing at full power against its pull.

Takashima struggled to maintain control of the airship. Knowing that Honda could hear his thoughts, he told her, _Get out of here! Just leave!_

 _No, Taki! You're coming with us!_

Ivanov shut off the tractor beam, and _Shirasagi_ went zooming in the opposite direction. Godzilla turned his back as LS1 unleashed another volley of missiles. As the mech advanced on them, Godzilla leaped over the unconscious forms of the other monsters.

 _"Stand down!"_ Ivanov shouted over the loudspeakers. _"Surrender yourself now! Don't force me to kill you!"_

Honda almost regretted sparing Ivanov's life during the battle of Opono Island, but she realized that he had probably been coerced into fighting her under threat of losing his family.

 _Shirasagi_ flew back around behind LS1, charging toward it with the nuclear engines at full power. Just before the moment of impact, Takashima gravely intoned his final words: "It has been a pleasure serving with you, Doctor."

Upon collision, the airship's engines exploded, as did the mech's in turn. Godzilla shielded Honda with both hands as the blast sent enormous chunks of shrapnel flying in all directions; several large chunks buried themselves in his flesh, but they could not kill him.

Once it all had settled, Godzilla and Honda looked over the carnage. The machines had been reduced to a burning mass of twisted metal. Kong had been badly cut up by shrapnel; the flesh on his face and chest was mostly shredded off, while one huge piece of metal had embedded itself in his right shoulder, nearly severing his arm. Underneath him was Titanosaurus, dead from a broken neck after Kong landed on him. But the most heart-wrenching sight was Rodan. His chest was covered in burns and his wings tattered by shrapnel. Barely conscious, he whimpered as he futily attempted to get up. Godzilla and Honda were reminded of the Battle of Fukuoka, when Rodan was left in a similar state and had to be taken to Infant Island for healing. Godzilla looked away, unable to bear the sight of what he had done to his friends.

There came a familiar honking cry; Godzilla and Honda looked toward the shore to see Anguirus wading into the shallows. He walked with his head low and tail dragging, a deferential posture, and Godzilla could sense his thoughts; he was not being controlled, but rather had come of his own free will, following the others at a distance. Due to his slow swimming speed and usually placid nature, Anguirus was seldom able to accompany G-Force on missions; apparently the UNMCC or whoever had sent the party to eliminate Godzilla had deemed him unneeded, but he followed them to see what was going on.

Godzilla stepped forward; still holding Honda in one hand, he stroked the top of Anguirus' head with the other. The smaller monster hung his head in sadness upon seeing the bodies of their former teammates.

Honda cried openly. "We have to go," she said between sobs. "Godzilla, we have to go right now and hide!"

 _I know_ , he answered. He knelt down in front of Anguirus. _This is the end of our team, little friend._

Anguirus scurried right past him toward the other monsters. He nudged each in turn with his snout, but none of them responded; even Rodan was unconscious now.

"What can we do?" asked Honda. "We can't take them with us; it would be too big a risk."

Godzilla growled in agreement. _Maybe Anguirus can take them._

"Others will be here soon! There's no time for both of them!"

 _Then I will ask him to take Rodan to the Wise Ones so they can heal him again. Kong will be dead soon and beyond their help._

"That will have to do. Now, let's take our leave of this place before it's too late!"


	9. Premonitions

The day after the battle, Prime Minister Mitamura announced that Honda and Godzilla had gone rogue. Unlike when he picked a fight with MechaGodzilla, the evidence this time appeared fairly conclusive. The origins of the Guardian Monsters remained unknown to the world at large; all they were certain of was that Godzilla had failed to show when called upon by the UNMCC to intervene in their rampage. Honda had admitted to their presence during the incident on Kiryoku-shima, and due to the chaos and confusion of that night, eyewitnesses could not say for sure that Godzilla was not responsible. There were also no witnesses to dispute the allegation that Godzilla was responsible for the attack on Iwato or the death of Captain Ivanov.

Honda and Godzilla were declared traitors and wanted fugitives. Due to their desertion, the disappearance of Rodan and Anguirus, and the loss of General Omori, the Iwato base, and the other G-Force monsters, the UNMCC moved to officially terminate Project G. Global reaction to the news included shock, disbelief, outrate, sadness, and trepidation. After five years, the so-called Age of Godzilla was over.

The fugitives made the voyage to Seatopia undetected. Upon their arrival, Godzilla was recruited into the Royal Dragons, replacing the slain Zaninga as the maritime guardian of the island, while Honda was welcomed as a royal guest. Nelliyattu and Coogler had already arrived to a similar greeting, bringing with them Keiko and the three eggs bearing the offspring of Zilla and Komodithrax at Honda's request.

Honda was astonished to see just how vast Seatopia was. Far beneath the island on the surface was a city of fifty million people. Pyramids of varying size and shape were built into the rock itself; some were residential complexes, others were industrial and scientific centers, and still others were schools of art, culture, spirituality, and philosophy woven into a single curriculum.

Seatopia was entirely self-sufficient. The tangerine crystals, simply referred to as Muite, grew from every nook and cranny; they were a source of infinite replenishable energy and a satisfactory substitute for sunlight. They were even sufficient for photosynthesis, producing nutritionally rich vegetation and fungi of every shape, color, and taste that sprouted plentifully around every outcrop of Muite. The crystals could also be used to purify the seawater that flowed into the city from several streams. Anything else they needed could be created through the power of conjuring.

These conditions had produced a society with no need for money and none of the problems money creates. A citizen of Seatopia was free to be whatever they wanted, be that an artist, an educator, a soldier (a profession which existed solely for the defense of the kingdom if ever it was invaded, which had yet to occur since its foundation), or any other role. It was also a valid choice to simply exist; in the absence of a competition-based market or any need for strenuous work in daily life, one was able to live without a care. Many chose to travel the kingdom by foot, or to spend all of their time in school, or to lounge about with friends and family doing nothing in particular. No matter how many chose to devote their lives to leisure, there was never a concern that the kingdom would run short of crafters, educators, and other vital roles, as those who filled them took just as much pleasure in doing so and never had to work more than they felt like doing.

Even leadership titles were more ceremonial than governmental. The Queen was not appreciably better off than her subjects - How could she be, given how well off the entire kingdom was? - and rarely had to make serious decisions. Sending Baragon and Mogu to fight the Guardian Monsters was the first significant official order she had to give.

Honda was given a suite in the royal palace, a variety of tailored clothes, and a tear-shaped amulet of Muite that allowed her to control her powers again. She expected that she would come to love her new surroundings in time, but still her heart ached for the world she had left behind. Shortly after her arrival, she joined Queen Salno in a psychic conference with the Wise Ones, both of whom were surprised to learn that Seatopia even existed.

"We regret keeping such secrecy," Salno explained, "but when it became clear to us that the divided states of the past were failing, we decided to use our power to conceal our continued existence from everyone, including the two of you. We just could not risk being discovered."

"I understand," said Mona. "You did what had to be done."

Lora wiped away a tear and smiled. "I'm so proud to see you carrying on this legacy. After Nirai-Kanai, I feared humanity would never know that same oneness with the Earth again, yet there you are!"

Salno bowed her head humbly. "Your approval means a lot. Thank you for understanding."

Mona inquired apprehensively, "So, what happens next?"

Honda spoke up. "I will remain here for the time being. The monster problem is not too severe now for the rest of humanity above to handle. Maybe someday I will return, but I don't know when that might be."

Salno asked the Wise Ones, "What of Belvera? Have you seen or heard from her?"

"We have not," said Lora. "From what you told us she said to you, it sounds like she could be up to some other scheme now, but we don't know what it could be."

* * *

In fact, at that same moment, in the dead of night, Belvera had returned to Infant Island by teleportation in silence along with her followers, who combined their psychic power to conceal their presence and hers. Belvera had taken the large mass of Batorite unearthed from Birth Island and compressed it down to the size of a thimble, maintaining all of its enormous power in concentrated form. Watching the Mothra larvae build their cocoons in preparation to metamorphose, she threw the Batorite shard into the strands of Mothra Take's silk before disappearing again with her followers. They did not realize that Mona had seen right through their psychic barrier, but she said nothing to Lora about it; she remained unsure that stopping Belvera was the right thing to do.

* * *

Keiko spent the first night in Honda's bed with her, still shaken from the entire ordeal.

"I'm sorry," said Honda. "I dragged you into all of this."

"It's not your fault. Belvera did this. We're going to set everything right."

"I certainly hope so."

"I _know_ so."

Honda looked at Keiko closely. "How confident are you in that premonition?"

"Well…it's more like feeling something than knowing something. The, um…premonitions, I think you called them…they're not very clear usually, at least not in the details. But I can feel that someday we will be back on the surface and they won't be coming after us anymore."

Honda hesitated before asking, "Do you know…or do you feel anything about Doctor Yuma?"

"No. I don't know if we'll see him again. Do you want to see him again?"

"I think so. He spared you and the eggs in the cave, and he never attacked me during the battle. I think there's still good in him. He just needs to find it for himself."

* * *

While Honda and her friends bided their time, so did Belvera. She knew that the time would come soon enough to put her final plan into action. However, she did not realize that her return to Earth had drawn the attention of others from beyond the stars, and that multiple factions were already on their way to lay claim to this humble blue planet. Still another entity would seek not to conquer or colonize the Earth, but to destroy it and assimilate all of its power.

* * *

 **The adventure will conclude in** **Project G Part 7 - GODZILLA SAVES THE EARTH**


End file.
